The NHS is our most valued public service and the Labour Party's proudest achievement. As the future of the NHS is increasingly called into doubt by populist politicians, it is more important than ever that we implement the reform and provide the funding that's needed to get it back on its feet.
That's why we've made this our foremost priority, delivering millions more NHS appointments than had been planned and hiring thousands more GPs already. And in February, NHS waiting lists hit their lowest levels for three years, with hundreds of thousands more people treated within 18 weeks.
The Government delivered record levels of care in 2025, driven by unprecedented investment and modernisation of our health service, and above all by the dedication of NHS staff. Whether it’s by opening up new community diagnostic centres, rolling out surgical hubs to tackle backlogs, or investing in modern equipment and technology, we are rebuilding our NHS.
But there's much more to do. The Health Secretary recently published league tables rating NHS trusts to improve standards and help the public make informed choices. York Hospital ranked among the lowest, which is hugely concerning to those of us who live in Selby. I'm regularly engaging with local medical providers to advocate for people across Selby and Kippax who've experienced issues with their care.
For instance, I recently helped a constituent who faced a nearly 50-week wait for a surgery consultation. After I raised her case with the Trust, they were seen within a week. This case highlighted broader concerns about inconsistent data sharing between hospitals and clinics, particularly across county lines, so I contacted every healthcare practice in our constituency to gather data on wait times and referral processes. I then met with the Health Minister, who confirmed that feedback from Selby and Kippax will be shared with NHS England officials working on reforming elective care. The Government's aim is to meet the 18-week referral-to-treatment standard by March 2029.
In July, the Health Secretary announced a 10-Year Health Plan to secure the NHS’s future. This includes three major shifts: from hospital to community care, bringing services closer to people’s homes; from analogue to digital, using technology to free up staff and empower patients; and from sickness to prevention, catching issues earlier and making healthy choices easier.
We're also legislating to improve the care people receive. For instance, the recent Rare Cancers Bill will increase the accessibility of rare cancer research and ensure that NHS patients are at the front of the queue for cutting-edge treatments. Through our new National Cancer Plan – a strategy to transform cancer care and outcomes in England by 2035, we are working to improve cancer care.
The Plan will ensure faster diagnosis, with £2.3 billion invested to deliver 9.5 million additional tests by 2029. Robot-assisted surgery will increase to half a million by 2035, reducing complications and freeing up hospital beds. Treatment at specialist centres will increase so patients with rarer cancers have their care reviewed from the best doctors. The Plan commits to the full rollout out of lung screening by 2030 and increasing the sensitivity of the test used in bowel screening by 2028. It highlights innovations, like AI tools and liquid biopsy tests, that hold real potential, and targets funding to address local barriers could help narrow inequalities in earlier diagnosis. I was particularly pleased that the Government has rightly created a 10 million financial support package for families of children and young people with cancer to cover travel costs to and from appointments.
Ultimately, this action is estimated to translate to 320,000 more lives saved over the course of the Plan’s duration – the fastest rate of improvement in cancer outcomes this century. The Department of Health has pledged that 75 per cent of patients diagnosed from 2035 will be cancer-free or living well after five years, up from 60 per cent at the moment.
I’ll keep fighting for the NHS to get the support it so clearly needs, listening to local voices and relaying concerns to the Government. If you have questions about healthcare policy, please email me—I'm always happy to help.