While waiting times have shortened and funding has increased since this Government came into office, a closer look at the state of the NHS reveals a different picture. Sam Barrett reports.
In 2000, the Government set out its plans to reform the NHS. As well as organisational changes, it promised additional funding, rising from £65.4bn in 2002/03 to £110bn in 2010/11, to enable it to deliver a 21st century service designed around the patient. Seven years and many billions of pounds later and there have undoubtedly been some improvements in the service delivered. Waiting lists have certainly come down. In the latest figures released by the Department of Health, only 7,900 patients had been waiting more than 20 weeks for treatment at the end of September last year, a decrease ...
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