Write to letters@thetimes.co.ukSir, I was disappointed to read that Sir Kier Starmer’s plan for NHS reform focuses so heavily on the familiar theme of “tackling waiting lists” (“Booking NHS treatment ‘should be as easy as online shopping’”, Jan 7) This is a path well-trodden by previous governments: it is politically popular and easily measurable. However, the unpalatable reality is that waiting list initiatives encourage a fee-for-service mode and can end up prioritising quick, low-value care over sustained whole-system improvement. More troublingly, these measures serve only to reinforce the hospital boardroom’s preoccupation with activity, finance and waiting times as the dominant performance metrics, rather than focusing on clinical outcomes, patient experience and staff engagement. Dr Stephen DormanConsultant cardiologist, Bristol Royal InfirmarySir,

Source: The Times January 08, 2025 00:05 UTC