NHS Waiting Lists

I share concerns about delays in accessing care, particularly for elective procedures and gynaecological services such as endometriosis, where diagnosis can take on average nearly nine years.

My Liberal Democrat Parliamentary colleagues and I agree that tackling NHS waiting times is a high priority. The current Government’s suggested proposals to expand private sector provision risks worsening the situation, and costing more.

We should instead strengthen the NHS directly, including empowering trusts to bring outsourced services back in-house, investing in local capacity, and ensuring new hospital facilities and staff are in place. Everyone should have reasonable access to their GP and to see them within 24 hours in urgent cases. We should recruit 8,000 more GPs, expand mental health access, and speed up the availability of new treatments. Retention and training of NHS staff through independent pay reviews and a ten-year retention plan are also vital.

As a member of the Health and Social Care Select Committee, I will continue to press the Government to prioritise direct NHS investment, strengthen staffing, and cut waiting times across the country. Ensuring patients receive timely care is essential not only for their health but for the sustainability of our health service.