Children on NHS waiting lists will be fast-tracked under new plans unveiled by Labour

CHILDREN on NHS waiting lists will be fast-tracked under plans unveiled by Labour.

Sir Keir Starmer warned long waits for children are “dangerous and damaging” for their long-term health.

He said a Labour government would tell NHS bosses to make sure children get to the front of the line and vowed to “personally monitor” the progress of reducing these wait times.

 Analysis suggests that in November there were 180,000 waits for children’s treatment longer than 18 weeks, and 18,000 longer than a year.

The Opposition has also pledged to end waits of more than 18 weeks for patients.

The Labour leader said: “When children are waiting over a year for treatment, that is dangerous and damaging for their long-term health.

“Children waiting for huge proportions of their life for hospital treatment is heartbreaking, causes immense stress for their parents, presses pause on family life, and they need to end.

“The biggest casualty of the short term ‘sticking plaster’ politics of the last 14 years are our nation’s children.

“My Labour government will turn this trend around, and I will personally monitor the speed at which we do.”

It comes after Sir Keir said he was “up for the fight” of defending the “nanny state”.

Among plans to boost child health were proposals for supervised toothbrushing in schools, it was reported.