FIXING our broken NHS is one of this government’s top priorities, and we are taking the tough decisions needed to deliver that change.

There are now three million more NHS appointments since July 2024, waiting lists have been falling for six months in a row, and thousands of patients are being seen earlier for vital cancer tests and treatment, routine checks and scans.

Progress is being made, and slowly but surely, we are turning things around.

In GP surgeries we inherited a crazy situation where red tape was stopping practices from hiring newly qualified GPs, leaving around 1,000 doctors to graduate into unemployment.

We promised to turn that around by cutting excessive bureaucracy and investing more in our NHS.

Because of these actions, we’ve unblocked some of the problems around GP recruitment and succeeded in recruiting an additional 1,500 GPs into general practice since October.

I know that issues with accessing some local health services remain, and I will continue to push for the improvements that our area needs and deserves.

But we are on the right path, rebuilding the free-at-the-point-of-need health service that Labour established in 1948.

This coming week, I will be visiting Furness General Hospital to meet with frontline staff, hear about the issues they are still facing, and understand where further improvements are needed. Labour recognises that frontline staff are the driving force of the NHS.

I am also looking forward to taking a tour of the new £5.8m Community Diagnostics Centre, which is earmarked for opening at FGH this summer.

This new facility will help us drive down waiting times, free up appointments, and reduce the number of patients having to travel for potentially life-saving tests for a wide range of conditions including cancer.

The unit will have an MRI scanning suite with all the support services, including preparation and recovery areas, patient change, control room, reception and waiting area, as well as three clinic rooms.

This development is very welcome news for FGH, local patients, and their families.

Under the last government, NHS waiting times soared, with some patients waiting over 18 months for treatment.

Our goal, through Labour’s Plan for Change, is to reduce maximum NHS waiting times to 18 weeks by the end of this parliament.

Increasing the number of diagnostic centres like the one at FGH is a vital part of making that ambition a reality.

Labour is determined to build an NHS that is fit for the future, and I am equally committed to making sure our communities are well-served by the same high-quality and compassionate care that should be available to everyone.

I hope you are all enjoying your Easter break, but a special word of thanks must go to our NHS staff and others who have worked throughout the holiday.