Labour responds to NHS data showing a record of more than 6 million people are on their waiting lists

Wes Streeting MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,responding to the publication of NHS data showing a record of more than 6 million people are on their waiting lists, said: 

“Record numbers of people are waiting for care and they are waiting longer than ever before, often in pain and distress.

“After a decade of Tory mismanagement, the NHS went into the pandemic with record waiting lists and staff shortages of 100,000. It’s not just that the Tories didn’t fix the roof when the sun was shining, they dismantled the roof and removed the floorboards.

“The Conservatives are so incompetent they’ve come up with a plan that sees patients paying more in tax but waiting longer for care. 

“The longer we give the Tories, the longer patients will wait.

“The last Labour government reduced waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks. The next Labour government will secure the future of our NHS, providing the staff it needs to treat patients on time.”

Ends

Notes to Editors:

Source: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2021-22/#Dec21