The UK government has met its key election pledge to deliver two million extra NHS appointments in England within the first year, with over 2.2 million more elective care appointments compared to the same period in 2023.
The government has announced that it has met its key election pledge to deliver two million extra NHS appointments in England within its first year. The target was achieved between July and November last year, with almost 2.2 million more elective care appointments compared to the same period in 2023.
The National Health Service (NHS) offers online appointment booking services to patients, allowing them to schedule appointments with their healthcare providers.
This service is available through the NHS website or mobile app.
Patients can book appointments up to 3 months in advance and view their appointment history.
The NHS also allows patients to cancel or reschedule appointments online.
According to a survey, over 70% of NHS patients prefer booking appointments online for convenience and flexibility.
The additional appointments were delivered in part by extra evening and weekend working, according to the government. Elective care covers a broad range of planned, non-emergency services, including diagnostic tests and scans, outpatient appointments, surgeries, and cancer treatment. There were 31.3 million operations, appointments, and tests between July and November 2024, compared to 29.1 million over the same period in 2023.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said that the NHS was ‘on the road to recovery’ and that there were now around 160,000 fewer patients on waiting lists than when Labour took office in July last year. The number of people on the waiting list dropped for the fourth consecutive month to its lowest since April 2023.
However, the latest figures show that only 73% of A&E patients were treated or assessed within four hours in England in January, well short of the 95% target. The numbers of A&E patients enduring long waits also went up in January, with nearly 160,000 waiting longer than four hours for a bed to be found after a decision to admit them.
Accident and Emergency (A&E) patients are individuals who require immediate medical attention for acute injuries or illnesses.
They often present with severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, or severe bleeding.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 15% of hospital admissions worldwide are due to A&E cases.
In the UK, over 20 million people attend A&E departments annually.
Effective triage and treatment of A&E patients rely on prompt assessment, diagnosis, and management by trained medical professionals.
Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Helen Morgan said that until the government gets a grip on social care, hospitals will remain overwhelmed and backlogged. Streeting has previously defended the government’s timescale for reforming adult social care in England, with proposals on long-term funding unlikely to be delivered before 2028.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that the milestone was a ‘shot in the arm’ for their plan to get the NHS back on its feet and cut waiting times. He promised further reforms to deliver faster treatment, including plans unveiled in January to tackle the NHS backlog. The government has also announced an extra £40m in funding for trusts who make the biggest improvements in cutting waiting lists.
