No 10 defends record on NHS waiting list after minister admits it could grow further – as it happened

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Yesterday Sajid Javid, the Tory former health secretary, called for the creation of a royal commission to consider the future of the NHS. He argued that this would take the debate about the future of the service out of the realm of party politics, and, in an article in the Times, he said that in private politicians believed that the NHS was unsustainable in its current form. He said:

Of course, as we approach that next general election, political parties will energetically debate the future of the NHS. But behind closed doors, they know the current set-up is unsustainable. Saying that publicly is much more difficult.

We are investing now and building a workforce for the future. So I'm very confident that in 25 years time, the NHS will be thriving.

I don't begrudge NHS staff past and present celebrating the enormous contribution they make and the NHS has made to our country over the last 75 years.

What I do begrudge is the prime minister and other government ministers out celebrating, because when you look at the state the NHS is in today objectively we have the worst crisis in its history, the shortest or the lowest patient satisfaction ever and the highest waiting lists on record.