The waiting list for NHS hospital treatment rose to a record of nearly 7.8 million in September 2023. And the 18-week treatment target, enshrined in the NHS constitution, has not been met since 2016.
About 3.2 million people in England are now waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment. So what are the four parties promising?
Labour promises to hit the 18-week NHS waiting target within five years for non-urgent health conditions through 40,000 more appointments every week. They promise to deliver an extra 2 million NHS operations, scans and appointments every year.
