Sunak admits failure over promise to cut NHS waiting lists

Target was one of prime minister's key commitments but more than 7.6 million still due for treatment in England

Rishi Sunak has acknowledged that he has failed to keep his promise to cut healthcare waiting lists.

The prime minister made doing so one of the key commitments on which his own competence would be judged when taking office. But, with the situation in England actually worsening by many measures, the grand pledge was downgraded late last year, before Sunak then acknowledged failure on Monday.