‘By giving patients the choice to be treated in a private setting, we can get them treated ten weeks sooner- giving them back two and a half months of their lives’, the Health Secretary writes
Every week I meet patients who are sick and tired of waiting.
They’ve done everything right. Paid their taxes into the NHS. Contacted their GP and been referred. Then… nothing. Months of pain and anxiety while lives are put on hold. It’s not acceptable and I will do everything in my power to fix it.
I knew before the election that the waiting times crisis is urgent, but rebuilding the NHS after 14 years of underinvestment would take time. So we stood on a platform of investment, modernisation, and using spare capacity in the independent sector. It’s working.
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We promised two million more appointments and we’ve delivered five million. Half a million have been done in the independent sector, free at the point of use, paid for by the NHS
And by giving patients the choice to be treated in a private setting, we can get them treated ten weeks sooner- giving them back two and a half months of their lives back. This isn’t just pragmatic. It’s the principled, progressive position.
It’s morally unjust that the wealthy get better healthcare because they can afford to pay. Wealth shouldn’t determine health. I’d challenge opponents of this policy to explain how the world would be fairer if there had been 500,000 fewer appointments for NHS patients this year. I couldn’t look those patients in the eye as Health Secretary and tell them they should wait longer.
I do not believe in two-tier healthcare, where those who can afford it get treated on time, and those who can’t are left behind. This Labour government is ending it. At the same time, we’re building NHS capacity for the long-term.
We’ve opened Community Diagnostic Centres and operating theatres at evenings and weekends, to get patients diagnosed earlier and treated faster. We’re investing in modern technology, like robotic surgery, to help patients recover more quickly. We’ve recruited 2,500 more GPs, and made it easier for patients to contact their practice.
We’ve cut waiting lists by 200,000 since the election. But there’s a long way to go. The end of the last Labour government had the shortest waiting times, and the highest patient satisfaction. We did it before and we’ll do it again.