NHS leaders warn of longer waiting times if demand for extra £3bn not met

Additional operating theatre lists ‘are the easiest things to stop when money is difficult, but they have an immediate impact on waiting times’. Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

NHS bosses are seeking an emergency injection of £3bn to cover unexpected costs and have warned ministers that without it patients will wait longer for treatment and hospitals will start rationing care.

Their move presents a fresh problem for Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, as she tries to find ways to fill an estimated £30bn hole in the nation’s finances in her budget next month.