Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

NHS Waiting Lists

Tuesday 25 November 2025 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Elaine Stewart highlighted that 61,000 patients in NHS Ayrshire and Arran are on a waiting list for treatment, with nearly 11,000 waiting over a year.
  • The Minister acknowledged that Scotland is receiving extra funding of 1.5 billion this year and 3.4 billion next year.
  • Dr Caroline Johnson noted that waiting lists for procedures and operations requiring day care or overnight admission are rising, higher than they were a year ago.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Elaine Stewart Lab Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
NHS
Context

The question arises from the context of long waiting lists in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, where 61,000 patients are on a waiting list for treatment, almost 11,000 of them for over one year. The Labour Government has invested significantly in England's NHS.

Question

While the NHS is on the road to recovery in England thanks to the investment of this Labour Government, there are 61,000 patients in NHS Ayrshire and Arran on a waiting list for treatment, almost 11,000 of them for over one year. Does the Minister agree that after record levels of funding for Scotland in the last Budget, people in my constituency should be asking the First Minister and his Government, “Where’s the money gone, John?”

Answer from The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting)

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. More patients are waiting a year for treatment in Ayrshire and Arran than in the entire south-west of England—that is shocking. Thanks to the investment the Chancellor has made, Scotland is receiving an extra £1.5 billion this year and £3.4 billion next year—the biggest funding increase since devolution. Labour is cutting waiting lists in England. Labour is cutting waiting lists in Wales. Why is the SNP failing where Labour is succeeding?

Answered
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Q2 Joe Robertson Con Isle of Wight East
NHS
Context

The Secretary of State previously promised to end industrial action but has not yet done so, raising concerns about the impact on reducing waiting lists.

Question

The Secretary of State has failed to end industrial action like he said he would. How is that helping to reduce waiting lists?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting)

Industrial action sets back our progress on waiting lists, but frankly, the Conservatives presided over an absolute mess—not just over the course of 14 years, when waiting lists rose every single year during the Conservatives’ time in power, but in their catastrophic mishandling of industrial relations. We came in, and we settled with the British Medical Association—[Interruption.]

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specifics on ending industrial action

How: Redirecting Blame To Previous Conservative Government

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Q3 Caroline Johnson Con Sleaford and North Hykeham
NHS
Context

Concerns about the accuracy of waiting list figures, especially when patients are called for validation after a year of waiting.

Question

I would like to say I am sorry that the Minister for Public Health and Prevention is unwell and convey to her the best wishes of the Opposition. I would like the Secretary of State to consider a patient who has waited a year for a procedure and then, after three waiting list validation calls, finally sees the consultant to check that the procedure is still necessary. If the consultant agrees that it is, do the Government figures show that patient as waiting for a year or a much shorter period?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting)

A clock stop would be in place from the moment the patient saw the consultant. The reason we have had to do waiting list validation is that, in addition to driving waiting lists up, the Conservative party presided over a total shambles where patients were often waiting in duplicate slots on the waiting list, removed from waiting lists unnecessarily or waiting far too long. That is the mess we inherited from the Conservative party.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specifics of waiting list validation impact

How: Redirecting Blame To Previous Conservative Government

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Q4 Caroline Johnson Con Sleaford and North Hykeham
NHS
Context

Concerns about rising surgical waiting lists for procedures requiring day care or overnight admission, as well as orthopaedic surgery, gynaecology, ophthalmology, general surgery, neurology, and gastroenterology.

Question

Waiting lists for procedures and operations requiring day care or overnight admission are both rising and higher than they were a year ago. Orthopaedic surgery waiting lists are up, yet this Government scrapped our major conditions strategy and say that they have no plans for a musculoskeletal conditions framework. Gynaecology surgery waiting lists are up, yet the Government scrapped and are now reviewing the women’s health strategy. Waits for procedures and operations in ophthalmology, general surgery, neurology and gastroenterology are going up too. When is the Secretary of State going to get a grip of the surgical waiting lists?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting)

I honestly cannot believe the brass neck of Conservative Members; their time in government led to the longest waiting times and lowest patient satisfaction in the history of the national health service. The best news I can offer the shadow Minister, and others like her who are on a waiting list, is that we have a Labour Government who are reducing waiting lists for the first time in more than 15 years.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Addressing rising surgical waiting lists

How: Redirecting Blame To Previous Conservative Government

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