THE NHS has delivered over two million extra appointments, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endoscopy, and diagnostic tests, meeting a government pledge seven months early.
Figures from NHS England show that between July and November last year, nearly 2.2 million more elective care appointments were provided compared to the same period the previous year.
This includes an additional 100,000 treatments, tests, and scans each week, and over half a million extra diagnostic tests.
The government has announced an additional £40 million for NHS trusts that make the biggest improvements in reducing waiting lists.
The funding will be allocated next year for new equipment and hospital upgrades to improve treatment access.
The waiting list has fallen by nearly 160,000 since the government took office, following measures such as extended evening and weekend appointments and increased use of Community Diagnostic Centres.
The government aims to ensure 92 per cent of elective care patients are treated within 18 weeks by the end of this parliament.
Further steps include expanding surgical hubs and using private sector capacity to cut waiting times.
The government has also launched a consultation on a 10-year NHS plan and introduced a breast screening awareness campaign to detect cancer earlier.
