Sky News Daily Is the NHS in good health under Wes Streeting?
8 snips
Nov 13, 2025 Ashish Joshi, Sky News health correspondent, provides insight into the NHS's fluctuating statistics and recent drop in waiting lists. Roy Lilley, a former NHS trust chairman, critiques Wes Streeting's performance and highlights challenges facing the NHS, including pay disputes and political distractions. They explore the implications of reduced waiting times, the ongoing junior doctors' strikes, and the NHS's winter preparedness amid looming flu threats. Lilley even questions Streeting's leadership potential, suggesting he may not be fit for Prime Minister.
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Waiting Lists Are Falling, But Still Massive
- Waiting lists have fallen by about 230,000 since July, reversing a long growth trend.
- The reduction is meaningful for those patients but remains small relative to a 7.4 million backlog.
Prioritise Operational Efficiency
- Increase efficiencies like clearing theatres, extending hours and boosting diagnostics to reduce waits.
- Focus on operational changes that directly convert capacity into treated patients rather than symbolic reforms.
Political Distractions Threaten NHS Focus
- Streeting faces damaging political distractions over alleged leadership plotting that he denies.
- These leaks and internal tensions risk diverting focus from NHS priorities at a fragile time.