Labour will today vow to clear the NHS backlog within five years.
Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to get the Health Service ‘back on its feet’ amid reports almost 150,000 died while on waiting lists last year.
The Opposition leader said one of the ‘first steps’ as Labour government would be to slash the waiting list in half by boosting appointments, staff numbers and doubling scanners.
The commitment includes using evenings and weekends to clear the 3.2 million currently on the list waiting more than 18 weeks to start treatment.
Last night, health leaders welcomed the ‘ambitious’ plans but warned there was ‘no avoiding surrounding pressures’ such as the social care crisis.
Rising demand coupled with staff shortages could thwart the plans, alongside the ‘elephant in the room’ of potential further industrial action, they said.
Think-tanks questioned whether the ‘laudable ambitions’ were achievable, adding that solely focusing on waiting lists could impact other parts of the health service.
Senior Tories accused Labour of ‘more “copy and paste” politics’ while economists said it would take far more than the £1.3 billion pledged so far.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: ‘The fact is that under the Conservatives in England waiting lists have fallen, but in Labour-run Wales waiting lists are going up.’
As it reveals its plans for the NHS, Labour is set to say it would initially focus on reducing treatment backlogs, currently standing at 7.54 million.
It claims the figure could rise to 10 million if the Conservatives remain in power another five years, although NHS data shows waits were falling before recently stagnating.
Speaking ahead of a visit to the West Midlands, Sir Keir asked voters to look at Labour’s track record with waiting lists, saying ‘we did it before and we will do it again’.
He described how the NHS has been there for his family and that he wanted to ‘make sure it’s there for everyone.’
He said: ‘Putting the NHS back on its feet and making it fit for the future is personal for me.
‘It runs through my family like a stick of rock, which is why one of my five missions is to turn it around after 14 years of Conservative decline.
‘The first step of my Labour government will be to cut NHS waiting lists, clearing the Tory backlog.’
Sir Keir added: ‘We will roll up our sleeves to work with NHS staff, not against them. We will stop the anxiety of wondering if an ambulance will come on time. We will bring back the family doctor.’
This month, NHS England revealed 309,300 patients had been waiting more than a year to start routine hospital treatment, up from 305,050.