We pledged at the election to deliver two million more NHS appointments a year as our first step to bring down waiting lists. We have hit that target already – seven months early, thanks to a share of the investment of £22 billion set out the in the Budget.
Through the difficult decisions taken at the Budget local people will see improved public services for people in Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton, and our NHS beginning to get back on its feet.
We are well aware that much more needs to be done to build an NHS which is fit for the future, so we are taking this achievement in our stride and are going further and faster as a government.
The two million extra NHS appointments have included chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endoscopy, and diagnostic tests, and have driven down waiting lists by almost 16,000. Achieving this milestone early is a huge step to getting the NHS back on its feet and delivering efficient and reliable services.
We know there is a long road ahead, but this is exactly the start needed to deliver on our promise to fix the NHS and cutting waiting times to make sure people get the care they need, when they need it. Hard work is paying off!
Jim McMahon OBE MP 