Use private sector more for NHS patients, says Labour

The government in England should increase its use of the private sector to tackle the NHS backlog, Labour says.

It said as many as 300,000 patients have missed out on treatment since it called for greater use of private clinics in January 2022.

And the party said it was unjust that the lack of action meant only those who could afford to pay for treatment themselves were being seen on time.

The government said it was delivering by cutting long waits. However, data published by NHS England last week showed key targets to tackle the backlogs in cancer care and routine treatment had been missed.

Overall, there are now a record 7.3 million people on a hospital waiting list, which is nearly three million higher than it was before the pandemic started.

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Source: BBC News, 19 May 2023