The Government has announced that it has successfully fulfilled its manifesto commitment to provide an additional two million NHS appointments in its inaugural year of office. This target was reached between July and November of the previous year, with NHS figures indicating a total of 2.2 million more elective care appointments compared to the same period in 2023. Here, The i Paper examines the validity of the Government’s assertion.
What did Labour say in its manifesto?
In its election manifesto, Labour pledged: “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. We will achieve this by incentivising staff to carry out additional appointments outside of regular hours. Labour will also pool resources across neighboring hospitals to create shared waiting lists, allowing patients to receive treatment more swiftly.”
Recent NHS figures released on Monday revealed that there were 31.3 million operations, appointments, and tests conducted between July and November 2024, in contrast to 29.1 million during the same timeframe in 2023. Elective care encompasses a wide array of planned, non-emergency services, including diagnostic tests, scans, outpatient appointments, surgeries, and cancer treatments.
Could the figures still change?
Despite the positive figures, there are still seven months of data pending release, which could potentially alter the current trend and result in the Government failing to meet its manifesto promise. The data for the year ending July 2025 will provide a clearer understanding of the full year since Labour assumed office and will ultimately confirm whether the manifesto commitment has been met.
Sir Keir Starmer emphasized that the Government was “not complacent” and recognized that “the job isn’t done,” committing to further reforms aimed at delivering faster treatment. The Prime Minister stated, “With two million additional NHS appointments and a decreasing waiting list, we are fulfilling our promise to overhaul the NHS and ensure that individuals receive the care they need, when they need it. We pledged to turn this situation around, and that is precisely what we are achieving – this milestone serves as a boost for our plan to restore the NHS and reduce waiting times.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting remarked to the BBC, “We’ve accomplished our first step, and we’ve done so seven months ahead of schedule. However, I don’t want anyone watching to believe we’re taking victory laps. There are still significant challenges facing the NHS, and we have a long way to go regarding waiting lists.”
It’s important to note that the lower figures from 2023 included periods when both consultants and junior doctors were on strike, resulting in fewer available appointments during that comparison period. Additionally, there were further strikes in 2024, which could also lead to a decrease in appointments compared to the first half of 2025. Consultants concluded their pay dispute with the government in April 2024, during the Conservative administration. Under the terms of the agreement, some consultants received pay increases of nearly 20 percent for the financial year 2023-24. Junior doctors ended their strikes after agreeing to a 22 percent pay rise over a two-year period in September 2024, a proposal put forth by Streeting.
Is Labour taking credit for the Tories’ work?
Some analysts have suggested that Labour is unjustly claiming credit for efforts initiated by the Conservatives. Given that the pay offer accepted by consultants originated from the previous government, this assertion holds some truth. Labour’s manifesto stated, “Too many patients have experienced delays in their treatment due to strikes. Labour will reset relations with NHS staff, moving away from the Conservatives’ ineffective approach.”
During the election, Labour also committed to eliminating hospital backlogs to meet the NHS standard, which requires that 92 percent of patients in England wait no longer than 18 months for elective treatment. The manifesto declared, “Labour’s immediate priority on health will be to take control of the record waiting list. We will strive to meet NHS performance standards. This means patients should anticipate waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral for consultant-led treatment of non-urgent health conditions. This standard was achieved under the previous Labour government and will be reinstated under the next.”
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Recent figures released indicate that the number of individuals waiting for appointments is beginning to decline. As of the end of December, an estimated 7.46 million treatments were pending in England, a slight reduction from 7.48 million treatments at the end of November. Streeting acknowledged, “There is still a tremendous amount of work to be done. People continue to face difficulties in securing GP appointments, and GPs are grappling with a challenging caseload. We also encounter significant hurdles regarding ambulance response times and A&E corridor care.”
He further stated, “I wish I could assure you that by next Christmas, there will be no one waiting on a trolley in a corridor. I cannot make that promise, but I can assure you that we will achieve year-on-year improvement, and I am determined to eliminate that type of corridor care.”
