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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.
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