VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Health Services: Waiting Lists

Asked by Andrew LewinLabourDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 13 January 2026UIN 907242

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of people waiting for NHS treatment.

Answered by Karin Smyth

We know how important it is to patients and clinicians that they receive and deliver treatment faster.

Our Elective Reform Plan is working. Waiting lists are down over 225,000 since we came to office. We delivered 5.2 million extra appointments in our first year; double what we promised.

The NHS is on the road to recovery, saving and transforming more lives through record investment, innovation and modernisation.

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