She told the Commons: ‘More appointments, more doctors and more scanners,’ signalling a renewed attempt to tackle long NHS waiting lists, improve access to care and modernise service delivery.

Reeve’s promises for the NHS included:

• A commitment to increase day-to-day NHS spending by £29 billion per year, over each year of the spending review, with the aim of delivering more capacity and services.
• An uplift in funding accompanied by pledges to invest in additional medical equipment, scanners and diagnostic services, to enable ‘millions more tests and procedures’, again, designed to reduce backlogs and cut waiting times.
• A broader plan to modernise the NHS by shifting care where possible from hospital-based treatment to community or preventative care, and improving productivity through updated infrastructure, including digital tools, new diagnostic hubs and potentially more ‘one-stop’ treatment centres.

Reeves urged voters to see the NHS funding as a long-term investment, and part of her vision of a ‘strong economy backed by a strong NHS’. She argued that simply raising taxes to fund services — rather than returning to austerity — is the only way to secure the future of public services without repeated cuts.

However, critics noted that delivery will be key and the question remains whether hospitals and clinics can hire and retain enough staff, manage increased demand and modernise their infrastructure to determine the actual impact. Over the medium term, patients may expect improved access and shorter waits, but funding alone may not guarantee dramatic improvements without systemic reforms.

David Harris, CEO of Premier Modular, commented: 

‘While the pledge to cut waiting times and deliver better healthcare outcomes across the country is welcome, the devil will be in the delivery if the chancellor’s plans for increased Neighbourhood Health Centres are to be a success. These facilities will need to be rolled out at a pace that cannot be delivered by bricks and mortar construction; modular building must be a central part of the solution.  

‘The need for rapid deployment is only made more urgent by the raft of pressures facing NHS Trusts across the country, especially as winter demand increases. Any new facilities will need to be delivered quickly, whilst maintaining the high quality required for clinical spaces. Offsite construction and modular buildings will be required if the chancellor’s goals are to be achieved.’