Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

How will Labour fix a struggling NHS?

(Photo: Getty)

The latest NHS waiting figures are without question a problem for Rishi Sunak: they’re going up again for the first time in seven months. The performance data for NHS England shows that 6.33 million patients were waiting for 7.6 million treatments at the end of April, up from 6.29 people and 7.54 million treatments in March. But given where the Tories are in this election campaign, the figures also represent a problem for Labour.

Voters already know that the NHS is struggling seriously, and they seem to be using that knowledge to turn to Labour in droves. Keir Starmer is launching his party’s manifesto today, and it will include pledges on the NHS and reforming the health service. But the amount of focus that Labour has – rightly – placed on the NHS means that voters will be expecting to see action early on.

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