New NHS Appointments: Labour’s Lackluster Promise
So, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has some thoughts on Labour’s plan to add two million extra NHS appointments in their first year in power. According to them, the target wasn’t really all that ambitious. In February, Health Secretary Wes Streeting proudly claimed they hit the mark early. Now, with 3.6 million additional appointments in the first eight months, he’s calling it a “massive increase”.
But hold up, new data obtained by Full Fact and shared exclusively with Sky News tells a different story. Turns out, the 3.6 million figure actually shows a slowdown in new NHS activity. Under Rishi Sunak’s government the year before, there was a whopping 4.2 million rise in appointments over the same period. The two million extra appointments target was, in fact, quite modest, representing less than 3% of the nearly 70 million appointments carried out in the year to June 2024.
Not really sure why this matters, but the Labour manifesto promised “an extra two million NHS operations, scans, and appointments every year”. Sounds good, right? Well, the government didn’t really clarify how they were measuring this pledge. Even after taking office, they kept things vague, leaving us all scratching our heads. What exactly counts as an appointment? Mental health and A&E visits included? And when did the two million extra comparison start from? Who knows.
Fast forward to February, and suddenly the government claims they’ve already hit the target. But wait, they only defined certain procedures like elective operations, outpatient appointments, and diagnostic tests. So, are we really seeing a significant increase in activity, or just a slowdown as the new data suggests?
In response to the findings, Sarah Scobie from the Nuffield Trust pointed out that the two million target won’t do much to tackle the treatment waiting list or meet long-term NHS goals. The IFS chimed in, highlighting how the target falls short of the annual growth in demand pressures forecast by the government.
The government’s spin doctors have been quick to defend their record, boasting about the 3.6 million additional appointments delivered so far. They claim to have reduced the waiting list by over 200,000 and insist that patients are being seen within 18 weeks. But former health secretary Jeremy Hunt isn’t impressed, noting that the rate of appointments increased more under the previous government.
So, is the NHS really getting better or worse? According to a recent YouGov poll, 39% of people believe it’s gotten worse in the past year. Trust in politicians on healthcare varies, with Keir Starmer, Nigel Farage, and Kemi Badenoch receiving mixed reviews. Ed Davey seems to fare a bit better in the trust department.
Despite some improvements, the latest figures show over 6 million people waiting for NHS treatment in England. While the waiting list has decreased in recent months, it’s still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. The government aims to have no more than 8% of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for treatment by the next election, but currently, over 40% are waiting beyond this timeframe.
In conclusion, the government may be patting themselves on the back for hitting their targets, but the reality on the ground tells a different story. With the NHS facing ongoing challenges, there’s still a long road ahead to ensure timely and effective healthcare for all.
