PM says it’s not too late to save NHS as he launches plan to move thousands of hospital patients into care homes

RISHI Sunak this morning insisted it’s not too late to save the NHS ahead of launching a new plan to tackle mega backlogs.

Speaking from a community health centre in Leeds, the PM vowed he’s been doing his best for “months” to improve healthcare.

It comes amid criticism from Labour that ministers are taking a “sticking plaster” approach to fixing NHS issues.

A whopping 7 million Brits are currently on hospital waiting lists.

Today in the Commons Steve Barclay will announce the government’s big plan to shrink waiting times.

The Health Secretary will confirm £200m funding for trusts to buy up care home beds, enabling thousands of patients to be moved out of hospitals.

The Health Department thinks there’s around 13,000 medically fit people occupying beds.

This afternoon Mr Barclay will also reveal a handful of further new measures to fix pressures on the NHS, including £50m to upgrade hospitals.

This morning Mr Sunak said: “Months ago the Government announced £0.5 billion in extra funding to speed up the discharge of people into their communities or back home, where that makes sense.

"Today's announcement is for even more funding to help support those initiatives."

The PM added that treating people in the community rather than hospital was "the right thing to do".

"It frees up pressure in our hospitals that will ease some of the burdens that we're seeing in emergency departments and ambulance waiting times,” he said.

"It's also better for people to be treated at home where they can be or closer to their home.

"It's part of our plans to drive down waiting times in the NHS and improve the experience that patients are getting."

Responding to Mr Sunak’s plan, Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting blasted: This is yet another sticking plaster to cover the fact that under the Conservatives, our health and care services are buckling. 

"The Tories’ failure to fix social care means thousands of patients who are medically fit to be discharged remain stranded, leaving hospitals gridlocked. It is worse for patients and more expensive for the taxpayer."