Aysu Bicer
06 January 2025•Update: 06 January 2025
LONDON
The UK government on Monday announced an ambitious plan to reduce the number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for national health service (NHS) treatment in England by nearly half a million over the next year.
The initiative, billed as a milestone in addressing long treatment delays, includes expanding access to Community Diagnostic Centers and surgical hubs alongside reforms to enhance patient choice and efficiency.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled the plan, highlighting its potential to create millions of additional appointments and deliver on Labour's election promise to tackle NHS backlogs.
“This is about greater choice and convenience for patients and enabling our hardworking NHS staff to provide the standard of care they aspire to,” Keir stated.
The plan seeks to increase the proportion of patients receiving treatment or being given the all-clear within 18 weeks to 65% by March 2026.
Meeting this target, up from the current 59%, would reduce the backlog by over 450,000 patients.
Ultimately, the government aims to achieve the longstanding NHS target of 92% by the end of this Parliament—although this target has not been met since 2015.
Key to the strategy is a network of Community Diagnostic Centers, which offer local access to services such as scans and endoscopies.
These centers will extend their hours to operate 12 hours a day, seven days a week, providing up to 500,000 extra appointments annually.
GPs will also have the ability to refer patients directly to these centers without requiring prior specialist consultations, streamlining access to diagnostics.
Surgical hubs will also play a pivotal role in reducing delays, focusing on increasing the number of routine procedures performed.
While the British Medical Association (BMA) welcomed the proposals, it expressed doubts about their feasibility given the current state of the NHS workforce and resources.
“The plans are promising, but delivery will require significant investment and strategic execution,” a BMA spokesperson said.
The government has confirmed NHS England's budget for the coming year, with additional funding for increased hospital activity to be outlined in the spending review later in the year.
The broader NHS backlog remains substantial, with just under 7.5 million people in England currently awaiting appointments, procedures, or surgeries.
While no specific target has been set for the overall waiting list reduction, ministers expressed confidence that meeting the 18-week treatment benchmark would lead to significant improvements.
"This is a critical step forward, and while challenges remain, our focus is on delivering measurable progress," he affirmed.
The initiative forms a key component of the government’s six priorities, emphasizing its commitment to restoring public confidence in the NHS and addressing one of the nation's most pressing healthcare challenges.
