Patients across the country are starting to feel the benefit of Labour’s record-breaking investment in the NHS, with waiting times slashed for 80,000 cancer patients and over 1,500 new GPs hired to tackle the appointment backlog.

8th April 2025

Thanks to a £26 billion injection into the health service in last year’s Budget, Labour’s Plan for Change is already delivering real results. Cancer patients are being diagnosed faster, GP surgeries are hiring again, and waiting lists are beginning to fall.

New figures show that between July 2024 and January 2025, more than three-quarters (76.1%) of cancer patients received a diagnosis or all-clear within 28 days, up from just over 71% the year before. Faster diagnosis is crucial to improving outcomes and saving lives.

Meanwhile, over 1,500 GPs have been recruited since October, after the government cut red tape that was preventing newly qualified doctors from taking up posts. Labour’s plan is designed to end the 8am scramble for appointments by delivering thousands more GPs, modernising booking systems, and guaranteeing face-to-face appointments for those who want them.

Luke Myer, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, welcomed the figures:
“Too many people in our area know what it’s like to wait in pain, or in fear, because the NHS has been under so much pressure. But now we’re seeing the difference that real investment makes, with more GPs, more appointments, and faster cancer diagnoses. This is the start of turning the tide, and I’ll keep working to make sure our community gets the healthcare it deserves.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said:
“Rebuilding our broken NHS starts with fixing the front door. We inherited a system where patients couldn’t get appointments and newly trained GPs couldn’t get jobs. By investing more and cutting red tape, we’ve added 1,503 new GPs and slashed cancer waiting times for 80,000 people. This is just the beginning.”

Waiting lists across the NHS have now fallen by 193,000 since July, and the government has delivered its pledge of two million additional appointments – including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and diagnostics, seven months ahead of schedule.