As the promises made by Rishi Sunak and his ministers back in January fade further into the past, they gradually reappear … as much smaller and more conditional pledges, before – ministers no doubt hope – being forgotten altogether.
Back at the beginning of the year Sunak unveiled a “plan for emergency care” that promised to deliver “the largest and fastest-ever improvement in emergency waiting times in the NHS’s history”.
Included then was the promise of 800 extra ambulances, increasing the fleet by 10 percent (including 100 specialist vehicles for mental health patients), and 5,000 “sustainable” hospital beds, all to be backed up by a £1 billion fund.
Although the promised increase in bed numbers was just half the 11,000 extra beds which the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has called for to improve both emergency and elective services, Mr Sunak insisted the plans were both ““ambitious and credible,” despite immediate warnings on the urgent need to tackle staff shortages and wider NHS funding problems.
But even these limited promises have proved to be as worthless as the notorious pledge to build 40 new hospitals.
Full story in The Lowdown, 25 October 2023