U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stood for election on a platform of fixing the country’s ailing National Health Service, a taxpayer-funded system that's struggling with near-record waiting lists and all-time low satisfaction ratings.
The plan the Labour Party leader has finally unveiled doesn’t shrink from ambition, setting a four-year deadline to reach a standard for nonurgent treatment that hasn’t been met in almost a decade. The goal may be achievable — the real question is at what cost.
The NHS constitution, a document that spells out the rights of patients and the standards they can expect, says that 92% should be able to begin treatment within 18 weeks of referral. That threshold hasn’t been achieved since early 2016. The percentage slipped gradually under the previous Conservative government before plunging during the pandemic, recovering only to 59% as of October. Starmer pledged the health service will reach the 92% target again by March 2029, with a 6%age-point improvement to come in the year through March 2026.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.