Labour Pledges to Tackle 'Waste' in NHS, Conservatives Counter with Record Funding Claims

Shadow Health Minister Karin Smyth Outlines Potential Savings, Tories Argue They Have a Long-Term Plan for Staff Retention and Training

Labour has pledged to tackle 'waste' in the NHS, claiming inefficiencies are costing the health service billions of pounds.
Shadow health minister Karin Smyth argued that savings could be made by improving communication with patients, cutting management consultants, and reducing reliance on recruitment agencies.
Labour has proposed to pay high street opticians to carry out some routine NHS eyecare, such as for cataracts and glaucoma, to reduce backlogs.
The party has also highlighted the continued use of pagers by NHS staff and spending on paper and postage as areas where efficiency could be improved.
The Conservatives have countered Labour's claims, stating they have delivered 'record funding for the NHS' and have a long-term plan to train and keep more NHS staff.