Data shows a total of 507,000 appointments and operations were cancelled and rescheduled between July 2023 and February 2024 during periods of disruptive strike action, with NHS England analysis showing this added 140,000 more to the waiting lists this government inherited.

On his first day in government, health and social care secretary Wes Streeting got round the table with resident doctors, securing a 'fair deal' for patients and staff after four weeks.

He said: ‘Half a million operations stopped because of strike action weren't just an inconvenience. They meant hundreds of thousands of patients living through more pain, more stress and more disappointment.

‘That's exactly why within days of coming into office, I got round the table with resident doctors and put an end to these crippling strikes. It was a tough negotiation, but we came out with a fair offer, and patients immediately started seeing the benefit.'