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Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “This is more ‘copy and paste’ politics from Labour, who have no plan. The NHS has faced unprecedented challenges which it can only overcome if supported by a strong economy.
“That is why the Conservatives have a clear plan and will take bold action to strengthen the economy and continue to deliver the technology and innovation the NHS needs to keep cutting waiting lists.”
She pointed out that in Labour-run Wales, waiting lists had also gone up. Its waiting time target was last hit in 2010.
Mr Sunak has also said more patients could have been treated if long-standing strike action had not taken place in the NHS.
He has cited NHS England research published in March, which suggested around 430,000 more patients could have been treated, had there been no strikes.
Lib Dem health spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said: “The Conservatives have run the NHS into the ground.
“The Liberal Democrats are putting the NHS and social care front and centre of our campaign by ensuring hospitals get the repairs they need, people have the legal right to see a GP within seven days, and can get a dentist appointment when they need one.”
Sarah Woolnough, of the King’s Fund health think tank, said: “Clearing the backlog within five years would take real effort and focus, and may mean other ambitions in health and care will be slower to realise.”
She said that while offering weekend and evening appointments was a good idea and had worked already in some areas, scaling it up would rely on having enough NHS staff to take on the extra shifts.
“This is not a given when so many report high levels of stress and burn-out,” she added.
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