Mr Streeting told The Telegraph he intended to oversee “the biggest expansion of NHS staff in history”, claiming it was “a plan so good that the Conservative Government did a smash-and-grab on it”.
He said it would take time to recruit more doctors, nurses and midwives, “but in the meantime there are practical things that can and should be done to get patients seen faster”.
Under Labour’s plan, hospitals would run evening and weekend surgeries, which the party believes would allow them to do a week’s worth of operations in one day.
Staff and resources would be pooled across a region made up of around five hospitals for these shifts. Patients would be offered appointments at nearby hospitals, allowing them to be treated faster.
Earlier this week, a group of doctors warned that NHS managers were destroying the careers of whistleblowers who raised concerns about patient safety.
More than 50 doctors and nurses told The Telegraph they had been targeted after raising concerns about more than 170 patient deaths and nearly 700 cases of poor care.
Asked what he would do about that, Mr Streeting said: “Senior leaders who silence whistleblowers will be sacked – and they will not work in the NHS again. I can’t emphasise this strongly enough. We’ve seen review after review, report after report, about the culture in the NHS and the silencing of whistleblowers.
“This is a matter of patient safety – in some cases, it has been a matter of life and death. Unless we are robust about this, we’re not going to see the culture change that the NHS desperately needs.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
