UK's health service in 'worst crisis ever,' opposition leader says

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The UK opposition leader said Sunday that the country's health service is in the "worst crisis ever."

"We've got to acknowledge that the health service is not just on its knees, it's on its face," Keir Starmer said in an interview with Sky News.

Claiming that there are 7.2 million people on the waiting list at the moment, he pointed out the need for change and reform to prevent further crisis in National Health Service (NHS).

"We've got to have change and reform, we've got to make sure the NHS is sustainable, not just through this winter, but over the next 10 years," he added.

Starmer noted that "we have the worst crisis we've ever had," because of the "13 years of neglect," he said, referring to 13-year Conservative rule in the country.

Touching on "COVID effect on the NHS," he said there were problems like waiting list issue and workforce before the start of the pandemic.

"There'll be a 10 year plan for the NHS under the next Labour government," said Starmer.

He also called for using private sector effectively in a bid to overcome pressure on the NHS.

"We need a decade of national renewal and I think the next election is going to be about change," the opposition leader said.

On Saturday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosted the NHS Recovery Forum amid increasing pressure on the country's health system.

NHS said on Friday that accident and emergency (A&E) departments in the UK are struggling to accommodate patients as flu cases rose by 47% last week.

The growing number of flu cases are increasing pressure on hospitals that are already struggling with delays in ambulance operations.