Writing in The Telegraph yesterday, Streeting said he refused to be ‘bound by outdated ideological battles' when confronting the waiting list crisis.

Streeting said: ‘Some ask whether using private capacity contradicts NHS principles. Nonsense. What contradicts NHS principles is letting people suffer unnecessarily when capacity exists to treat them. The treatment remains free at the point of use – that's what matters.'

New figures revealed 500,000 people received NHS treatments through independent healthcare providers between January and April 2025.

The Government has set an ambitious target of 92% of NHS patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks by 2029.

Rory Deighton, acute director at the NHS Confederation, said only half his members were confident they would achieve the interim 65% 18-week target by March 2026.

‘To reach these key goals the NHS is going to need all the help it can get, including from the independent sector,' Deighton said.

Speaking at NHS ConfedExpo last week, Streeting, said he remained to open private capital investment in the NHS while taking a cautious approach.

Deighton said Streeting's comment on private capital investment were ‘heartening'.