A new agreement has been struck with the independent sector to help the government reduce waiting lists particularly in gynaecology and orthopaedics. 

Prime minister Keir Starmer has struck a new agreement with the independent sector as part of plans to end the hospital waiting list backlog. 

“When the waiting lists have ballooned to 7.5 million, we will not let ideology or old ways of doing things stand in the way of getting people’s lives back on track,” he said. 

The new deal will set out how independent sector capacity can be used to tackle some of the longest waits in specialist areas of treatment, such as gynaecology, where according to government figures there is a backlog of 260,000 women waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment.

Orthopaedics will also be a key focus, where over 40% of patients are waiting longer than the 18-week target. 

“This new agreement will help to cut waiting time faster in parts of the country where the need is greatest,” said health and social care secretary Wes Streeting. 

Extra capacity

The announcement was welcomed by the healthcare sector. 

“Setting out a plan with bold steps to overhaul the way in which patients receive their treatment is a welcome sign that ministers are serious about giving this country the healthcare service it needs,” said Phil Banfield, chair of BMA council. 

The NHS and Independent Sector Partnership Agreement will help expand capacity and widen patient choice by setting out how more treatments can be delivered through the independent sector, with care remaining free at the point of use.

The independent healthcare sector estimates that it has capacity to provide an additional one million appointments a year for NHS patients. 

“This new agreement is a clear statement from government, the NHS and independent sector that independent providers are a critical part of the NHS’ long-term recovery and renewal,” said David Hare, chief executive of membership body the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN. 

“Independent providers already treat millions of NHS patients every year, and this agreement builds on these strong foundations by making full use of existing capacity in the sector, ensuring that patients are offered proper choice of provider as well as supporting the sector to invest in, and deliver, an even wider choice of high-quality services to NHS patients to bring waiting times down – all delivered free at the point of use and paid for at NHS prices,” he continued. 

How to tackle waiting lists

The move to tackle waiting lists is central to government policy. As Jacob Lant, chief executive of National Voices, the leading coalition of health and social care charities in England, said: “Tackling waiting lists is an obvious priority for both patients and the wider public.”

The aim is to get waiting lists down to the levels that they were at in 2015. NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard confirmed that the independent sector currently delivers more than 100,000 elective appointment and procedures every week for the NHS. This is a figure which is up by more than half since 2021.

“But we are under no illusions that we must go further and faster if we want to get the waiting list down to levels last seen in 2015,” she said. 

“This new agreement will enable the NHS to make better use of capacity within the private sector where it is needed most, and help us see more patients, free at the point of use,” she continued.