The target was achieved between July and November last year, when there were 2.2 million more elective care appointments compared with the same period in 2023, NHS figures show.
In its election manifesto, Labour said: “As a first step, in England we will deliver an extra two million NHS operations, scans, and appointments every year; that is 40,000 more appointments every week.
NHS figures released on Monday showed there were 31.3 million operations, appointments and tests between July and November 2024, compared with 29.1 million over the same period in 2023.
Could the figures still change?
However, there is still another seven months of data yet to be released, and it is possible that the trend could reverse and lead to the Government not meeting its manifesto pledge.
Sir Keir Starmer said the Government was “not complacent” and knows “the job isn’t done”, vowing further reform to deliver faster treatment.
“We said we’d turn this around and that’s exactly what we’re doing – this milestone is a shot in the arm for our plan to get the NHS back on its feet and cut waiting times.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Sir Keir Starmer talk with nurses and staff at a healthcare facility in Surrey. Streeting is set to overhaul NHS emergency care (Photo: Leon Neal/AFP)“There are still massive challenges in the NHS, a hell of a lot further to go on waiting lists.”
There were more strikes in 2024 which could also mean fewer appointments compared with the first half of 2025.
Junior doctors ended their strikes after agreeing to a 22 per cent pay rise over two years in September 2024. The offer was made by Streeting.
Given that the offer accepted by consultants was made by the previous government, this is partly true.
During the election, Labour also pledged to end hospital backlogs to meet the NHS standard of 92 per cent of patients in England waiting no longer than 18 months for elective treatment.
“That means patients should expect to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral for consultant-led treatment of non-urgent health conditions. This standard was achieved with the last Labour government and will be again under the next.”
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An estimated 7.46 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of December in England, down from 7.48 million treatments at the end of November.
He added: “I wish I could sit here now and tell you that, by next Christmas, there will be no-one waiting on a trolley in a corridor. I can’t make that promise, but what I can tell you is that we will deliver year-on-year improvement, and I’m determined to see an end to that kind of corridor care.”
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