Sajid Javid is understood to be preparing new powers to seize control of poor-performing hospitals
Hospital bosses who fail to clear NHS waiting lists could face the sack under reforms to the healthcare system, it was claimed today.
Sajid Javid is understood to be preparing new powers to seize control of poor-performing hospitals, according to The Times.
One in ten people in England are stuck on waiting list for operations, with the numbers expected to continue to rise.
NHS data showed that 5.6million people across the country were waiting for elective surgery in July — the most since records began in 2007.
And the Health Secretary urged patients facing long waiting times because of the backlog of routine procedures — which spiked during the Covid pandemic — not to go private.
Mr Javid today insisted the health service 'can handle it' but refused to say when he expects the lists to clear, on his hundredth day in the job.
It comes despite high-street pharmacy Boots announcing it would be providing £15 GP-style face-to-face appointments this winter in a bid to help ease the burden on the the NHS.
The Health Secretary on Sunday admitted remote GP appointments on the health service are here to stay after the pandemic.
He told a fringe event at the Tory conference that if phone or online appointments were what people wanted, then he had 'no problem' with that.
The number of patients waiting for routine hospital treatment hit 5.6million in July, the highest figure since records began in 2007
Mr Javid is under pressure from No10 to reduce waiting times after last month's £36billion spending plan for health and social care.
He is encouraging business people and other non-healthcare leaders to take jobs running hospitals to help deliver results.
A senior Government figure said: 'Patients need to see tangible results and waiting times coming down.
'The [Department of Health] cannot simply be a cheerleader for the NHS.
'It needs to rigorously hold it to account for the money it has been given.'
Mr Javid told healthcare bosses that leadership is a core reason why some parts of the NHS struggle.
He is understood to be frustrated with limits on minister's powers to hold NHS leadership to account, with hospitals enjoying considerable local autonomy.
The Health Secretary plans to overthrow the rules so he has the power to replace whole leadership teams in failing hospitals or have them taken over by other local hospitals that are performing better.
Waiting lists spiralled after Covid forced
