In response to Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer's speech today, Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said:

"An NHS fit for the future needs long-term plans and support rather than short-term fixes.

"Record-high numbers of patients are on waiting lists. Trusts have succeeded in tackling the longest waits for care but continue to face ever-growing demand.

"Any attempts to address backlogs are of course welcome, including the announcement by the Labour Party leader of a £1.1bn investment earlier this week to cut waiting times by asking NHS staff to work evening and weekend shifts.

"But it's vital that we address the underlying issues facing healthcare. Waiting times were getting longer before the pandemic after years of underfunding and chronic staff shortages. Today there are 125,000 unfilled jobs across the NHS, leaving staff with heavy workloads and one in four absences due to anxiety, stress and depression.

"More national investment in public health and prevention, and in social care, is vital as well as substantially more capital spending to help ease pressure on stretched hospital, ambulance, mental health and community services and staff.

"Meanwhile the NHS is heading into a demanding winter with the threat of more strikes hanging over it.

"Trust leaders need to be able to spend their time ensuring that patients get first-class care and bearing down on care backlogs, not planning to cope with strikes. The government and unions must find a way to break the deadlock."