Labour Unveils NHS Reform Plan to Slash Waiting Lists and Improve Patient Outcomes

New measures include expanded use of private sector care, mandatory pre-surgery fitness assessments, and increased diagnostic and surgical capacity.

Patients awaiting non-cancer surgeries must now meet fitness criteria, including weight loss programs for obese patients and smoking cessation for smokers, to proceed with treatment.
The NHS will partner with private hospitals to offer up to one million additional appointments annually, targeting specialties with significant backlogs like gynaecology and orthopaedics.
Seventeen new surgical hubs and expanded community diagnostic centres will provide faster access to scans and procedures, operating 12 hours daily, seven days a week.
The NHS App will be expanded to allow patients to view appointment information and select treatment locations, with the goal of improving transparency and convenience.
The government aims to reduce the number of patients waiting over 18 weeks for treatment by nearly half a million by March 2026, with a long-term target of achieving 18-week compliance by 2029.