A recent initiative by Health Secretary Wes Streeting has shown promising results in tackling the persistent problem of NHS waiting lists, which have long plagued the UK healthcare system. Since September, the scheme has deployed “crack teams” of top doctors to hospital trusts in 20 areas with high levels of economic inactivity, including Lancashire, Cheshire, and Merseyside.
- Data from October to January shows waiting lists in targeted areas reduced at more than double the rate compared to the rest of the country
- A total of 37,000 cases have been removed from waiting lists, averaging almost 2,000 patients per trust
- The national waiting list has been reduced by 193,000 overall, addressing a chronic inefficiency in the NHS system
Successful Implementation Examples
- Warrington & Halton NHS Foundation Trust has run weekend gynaecology clinics, reducing the need for follow-up appointments
- Northern Care Alliance and Manchester University Foundation Trust held “super clinics” seeing up to 100 patients daily in one-stop appointments
- East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust streamlined diagnostic pathways, reducing echocardiography waiting lists from 2,700 to 700 patients
Broader Context and Political Response
- The initiative comes as the number of adults economically inactive due to ill health rose from 2.1 million in July 2019 to 2.9 million in October 2023
- Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recently announced the abolition of NHS England to “cut bureaucracy” and bring health service management “back into democratic control”
- Conservative shadow health secretary Ed Argar acknowledged the progress but criticized Labour’s economic policies, claiming they would divert money from frontline services
This targeted approach represents a significant effort to address one of the NHS’s most persistent challenges – excessive waiting times that keep patients from receiving timely care and contribute to workforce shortages. Streeting has indicated the program will be expanded later this year, stating the “targeted support” is “getting sick Brits back to health and to work.”