The Prime Minister has set out plans to tackle hospital backlogs with millions of patients able to access more appointments closer to home and get the treatment they need faster.
Under the Conservatives, hospital waiting lists ballooned in Birmingham. From 2011 to 2024, the waiting list at University Hospitals Birmingham Trust shot up from 21,000 to approximately 127,000, leaving thousands of people suffering or in pain waiting for treatment.
On Monday, the Prime Minister announced a package of reforms to bring down hospital waiting times.
The Prime Minister announced that we will:
- Slash NHS waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks so millions of patients no longer have to have their lives put on hold waiting for treatment
- Expand community diagnostic centres (CDCs) and surgical hubs for faster, local treatment outside hospitals
- Make sure CDCs will operate longer hours (12 hours a day, seven days a week) to increase access to same-day tests and consultations, with up to half a million extra appointments annually
- Free up one million appointments annually by abolishing automatic follow-ups unless requested by patients
- Make a new deal with private clinics to treat NHS patients – with particular emphasis on joint operations and gynaecological procedures
- Simplify and promote patient choice of which hospitals to be treated in to address low uptake
- Prevent unnecessary referrals as GPs will be funded to work with hospital doctors to get specialist advice before making referrals
- Create 14 surgical hubs within existing hospitals by June to handle routine procedures like cataract and orthopaedic surgeries which will operate separately from other hospital areas to ensure operating time isn’t affected by emergencies
- Cut the number of patients waiting over 18 weeks by 450,000 by March 2026
- Aim for 65% of patients to start treatment or receive an all-clear within 18 weeks by March 2026, progressing toward the 92% NHS target by 2029
- Use AI to predict and reduce missed appointments and improve resource allocation
- Reward trusts who make the fastest improvements in cutting waiting times with additional funding for capital projects tailored to local needs
Preet Kaur Gill, MP for Birmingham, Edgbaston, said:
“In my constituency, I’ve seen waiting lists skyrocket, leaving thousands of my constituents suffering or in pain with their lives on hold. I’ve heard from too many doctors, nurses and other dedicated staff who are unable to give the standard of care they desperately want to.
“Investment and radical reform can turn this around and that is what our Labour government is focused on delivering.”
“The reforms we are launching will free up millions of appointments and cut waiting lists, so the NHS can be there for us when we need it once again.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“This Government promised change and that is what I am fighting every day to deliver.
“NHS backlogs have ballooned in recent years, leaving millions of patients languishing on waiting lists, often in pain or fear. Lives on hold. Potential unfulfilled.
“This elective reform plan will deliver on our promise to end the backlogs. Millions more appointments. Greater choice and convenience for patients. Staff once again able to give the standard of care they desperately want to.
“This is a key plank of our Plan for Change, which will drive growth that puts more money in people’s pockets, secures our borders and makes the NHS fit for the future so what working people live longer, healthier, more prosperous lives.”
ENDS
Notes:
- University Hospitals Birmingham waiting list revealed as thousands on hold for treatment - Birmingham Live – https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/university-hospitals-birmingham-waiting-list-29392026
Comentarios