Yuan Yang, MP for Earley and Woodley is celebrating new data showing that NHS waiting lists in the south east have fallen by 35,201 compared to when Labour came into power.
Across the country, NHS waiting list figures show a drop in April for the first time in 17 years (excluding the first year of the pandemic), and have fallen to the lowest level in two years.
In a statement, she noted the Labour government met their promise of 2 million more appointments seven months early, and now more than 3.6 million extra appointments have been delivered since July.
Ms. Yang described the falling waiting lists and rising number of appointments as ‘a clear example of Labour delivering on their promises and the steps being taken to get the NHS working for patients once again’.
The data follows announcements made by the Chancellor in the Spending Review, with record levels of investment in the National Health Service to get it back on its feet and fit for the future, enabling the NHS to deliver on the government’s Plan for Change to cut waiting lists, improve patient care and modernise services.
She said: “After the Tories left waiting lists at a record high and patient satisfaction at a record low, hundreds of residents in Earley, Woodley, Shinfield, Whitley and Sonning were stuck waiting for treatment.
“That’s why falling waiting lists across the South East is such good news, as this Labour government puts the NHS on the road to recovery.
“Together we can be the generation that takes the NHS from the worst crisis in its history and makes it fit for the future.”
Health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “We are putting the NHS on the road to recovery after years of soaring waiting times, by providing record investment and fundamental NHS reform.
“Thanks to our interventions and the hard work of NHS staff, the overall waiting list has now fallen in April for the first time in 17 years – dropping by almost a quarter of a million since we took office.
“This is just the start. We’ve delivered millions of extra appointments since July, we are pushing on with our mission to get the NHS working for patients in the South East once again as we deliver our Plan for Change.”
