Sir Keir Starmer: I will clear NHS waiting lists within four years

Sir Keir says the party will aim to reduce the NHS work backlog by 40,000 people a week. Photo: Anthony Devlin/Bloomberg

Labour will clear the NHS backlog within four years, Sir Keir Starmer promised at the end of the party conference on Wednesday.

He said the party's «ambition» was to deliver ensuring that all 7.7 million people waiting for treatment receive it during the Labor government's first term.

Its goal is to reduce the NHS backlog by 40,000 people a week.

It came on the final day of Labour's conference in Liverpool, where Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said the NHS must modernize if it was to survive the challenges of an aging society.

In his leadership speech on Tuesday, Sir Keir confirmed that he would use the removal of tax status for those without permanent residence to reduce waiting lists.

Asked by ITV News whether this was enough, given it would raise less than 1 per cent of annual NHS funding, the Labor leader said: «It's vital because waiting lists are what's causing the NHS to overheat at the moment.» and is a big burden on our economy.

“We need reform too, and that's why when I said we'll spend this money, I also said it's a hard road to reform — and we need to reform the NHS. For the last 75 years it has been a service for the treatment of diseases, and now, due to the characteristics of society, it must become a preventive service.”

Asked if he could commit to eliminating waiting lists within a Labor government, Sir Keir said: “That's our goal.”

«Two million a year» a year, that's a huge ambition, 40,000 a week, the money is there, the plan is there and we need to cut those waiting lists.»

He told Sky News he wants to cut waiting lists to lower than when Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were in government.

Asked if he could repeat that achievement, he said: “My target is to clear it by the end of the next parliament, two million per year, 40,000 per week.”

“That’s why we set ourselves the task of this ambitious project, of course, partly for the sake of people’s health, but also because the economy depends on people’s employment, and this is a huge obstacle.”

“Fundamental and deep” reforms promised

Speaking earlier, Mr Streeting warned that the NHS must modernize or it will go bankrupt.

In a speech to the Labor Party conference, he said an aging population and a rise in diseases such as heart disease dementia and diabetes pose huge financial challenges to the National Health Service.

The shadow health secretary has promised «fundamental and deep» reforms, including changes to social care and the prioritization of community and mental health services.

He said there would be more GPs and greater integration between communities and hospitals, creating a district health service.< /p>

Mr Streeting said the system was too focused on hospitals and on late diagnosis and treatment.

Pouring ever-increasing amounts of money into a system that doesn't work is wasteful in every sense,» he said. delegates.

He said the Labor Party would create «the healthiest generation that has ever lived» and would support Rishi Sunak's plan to raise the smoking age year after year until it is banned.

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