The health secretary has said NHS waiting lists need to be “millions lower” by the next general election in 2029.
Wes Streeting told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips he is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure waiting lists are brought down, including using the private sector.
He said the “NHS waiting list will need to be millions lower by the end of this parliament”.
Mr Streeting said he wants to end the “two-tier system” where those who can afford it go private “and those who can’t are being left behind”.
However, he said where there is spare capacity in the private sector that should be used by the NHS to get waiting lists down.
“Rebuilding that [the NHS] takes time,” he said.
“So in the meantime, I’m looking to pull every single lever I can to make sure that people get treated as fast as possible and as safely as possible.
“And you can get those waiting lists down, get people back to health, back to work, or back to enjoying their lives in retirement.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
