Sir Keir Starmer will launch his plan to deliver millions more appointments across the NHS in a bid to reduce waiting times to 18 weeks over the next five years.
The prime minister will lay out how greater access to community diagnostic centres (CDCs) will help deliver up to half a million more appointments, alongside 14 new surgical hubs and three expanded existing hubs.
Up to a million appointments could be freed up by giving patients the choice to forego follow-up appointments currently booked by default, the government says.
Overall, the plan will involve a drive to deliver two million extra appointments by the end of next year.
The aim of the reforms is that by the end of March 2026, an extra 450,000 patients will be treated within 18 weeks.
Figures published by NHS England last month showed an estimated 7.54 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of October – the lowest figure since March 2024.
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the last time the NHS met the target of 92% of patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks was in 2015.
The reforms for England will also see an overhaul of the NHS app to give patients greater choice over where they choose to have their appointment and will also provide greater detail to the patient including their results and waiting times.
The first step in the digital overhaul will be completed by March 2025, when patients at over 85% of acute trusts will be able to view their appointment details via the NHS app, the government said.
They’ll also be able to contact their provider and receive updates, including how long they are likely to wait for treatment.
In the effort to free-up one million appointments, patients will be given more choice over non-essential follow-up appointments, while GPs will also be given funding to receive specialist advice from doctors before they make any referrals.
Sir Keir is expected to say: “This government promised change and that is what…
