Sir Keir Starmer on Monday vowed to cut the number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment by 450,000 within two years as he sought a New Year reboot for his Government.
The Prime Minister pledged that by the end of 2026 two thirds of patients would be getting treatment within this timescale. Latest figures show 59 per cent of patients are currently having to wait longer than 18 weeks.