Labour Hits NHS waiting list targets ahead of schedule, delivering two million extra appointments in England within its first year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed. Between July and November 2024, there were almost 2.2 million additional elective care appointments compared to the same period the previous year—despite months of disruption from doctor strikes.
Starmer described the milestone as
“a shot in the arm for our plan to get the NHS back on its feet and cut waiting times”, while NHS England chief Amanda Pritchard welcomed the progress but warned “there is much more to do.”
The government says this early achievement proves Labour’s commitment to tackling NHS backlogs, one of the key missions laid out in its manifesto. However, with A&E waits still at crisis levels and long-term social care reform pushed years down the line, is this the real turning point the NHS needs?
Hitting the Target—Seven Months Early
Labour’s pledge to deliver an extra two million NHS operations, procedures, and appointments per year was one of six headline commitments made in the election campaign. Ministers say they have now achieved this goal seven months ahead of schedule, helped in part by increased evening and weekend working across NHS trusts.
Elective care covers everything from diagnostic tests and scans to surgeries, outpatient treatments, and cancer care. NHS data shows that between July and November 2024, a total of 31.3 million operations, appointments, and tests took place—up from 29.1 million in the same period in 2023. That earlier timeframe included multiple days of junior doctor strikes, which suppressed the number of available appointments.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting declared the NHS was “on the road to recovery,” pointing to a 160,000-person drop in waiting list numbers since Labour came to power last July.
Is the NHS Actually Recovering?
On the surface, the figures look promising. Last week, NHS England confirmed that waiting lists had shrunk for the fourth consecutive month, with an estimated 6.24 million patients now waiting for treatment—the lowest number since April 2023.
But the broader picture is less encouraging.
- A&E wait times remain far below target—73% of patients were seen within four hours in January, well below the NHS’s 95% benchmark.
- Long waits for hospital beds are rising—nearly 160,000 patients waited more than four hours after being told they needed to be admitted, many left on chairs or trolleys.
- Social care backlogs are still driving hospital delays—with long-term funding reforms unlikely before 2028, hospitals remain overwhelmed.
A King’s Fund report published this week also highlighted persistent inefficiencies in the NHS system. A poll of 1,600 patients found:
- 1 in 5 received appointment letters after their scheduled date.
- Nearly a quarter didn’t know who to contact while waiting for care.
Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Helen Morgan argued that without a grip on social care, “hospitals will remain overwhelmed, backlogged, and it is the patients who will pay the price.”
Can Labour Sustain the Progress?
The government’s ability to hit its NHS pledge ahead of schedule is a political win, but the real test will be sustaining this trend.
To push waiting times down further, Starmer’s team is offering £40 million in extra funding to NHS trusts that make the biggest improvements. However, experts warn that unless social care funding is addressed and emergency care performance improves, long-term change will be difficult.
Starmer himself acknowledged that the government “is not complacent” and that “the job isn’t done.”
The next crucial milestone will come in July 2025, when a full year of NHS data under Labour will be available. Only then will it be clear whether this early achievement marks a real turning point—or just a short-term boost.
For a deeper analysis of NHS waiting times and reforms, visit The King’s Fund.
For more in-depth coverage on the NHS, politics, and the issues shaping the UK, visit EyeOnLondon. What do you think about the government’s progress on waiting times? Have your say in the comments below!
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