Labour have delivered two million extra NHS appointments during its first five months in office.
New figures published by NHS England show that almost 2.2 million more elective care appointments were delivered between July and November 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.
The figure was one of Labour’s key manifesto pledges during last year’s general election. The party had promised to deliver the two million appointments within its first year in government, so has hit the target seven months earlier than planned.
The extra appointments include for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endoscopy, and diagnostic tests, and were delivered thanks to staff working extra weekend and evening shifts, the government said.
The Department of Health and Social Care also highlighted that since Labour came to power, the NHS strikes have come to an end, extra flu vaccinations have been administered and £1.8bn of funding has been given for elective appointments.
The news of the extra appointments also comes after figures last week showed total NHS waiting lists fell in December, the fourth month in a row that this has happened.
However, the government have emphasised the need for further improvements within the national health service, saying challenges remain.
In a post on X, Starmer said the government will “go further and faster to build an NHS fit for the future.”
This was a sentiment echoed by health secretary Wes Streeting. Speaking on Sky News, he said there were still “enormous challenges in the NHS” and that there was a “hell of a lot more to do.”
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