Jeremy Corbyn has accused Keir Starmer of “betraying the NHS” by expanding the involvement of the private sector in healthcare.
The former Labour leader and current independent MP also criticised the party for its stance on key issues such as winter fuel allowances and the two-child benefit cap, claiming the party will regret its decisions.
Corbyn’s comments came after Starmer announced a £2.5 billion plan to pay private hospitals for up to a million additional appointments, scans, and operations per year, as part of Labour’s strategy to reduce NHS waiting times.
However, Corbyn described this move as a repeat of the “mistakes” made during Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s Labour administrations, which faced criticism for relying on the private sector.
In an opinion piece for The Independent, Corbyn stated, “During the general election, I stood on a platform that pledged to defend a fully public, fully funded healthcare system.”
He accused Labour of abandoning its promise that “the NHS is not for sale,” warning that the future of the NHS was at stake.
Corbyn emphasised that privatisation leads to lower quality care, higher mortality rates, and reduced staffing levels, citing evidence that privatised healthcare has been linked to higher patient infections, particularly as cleaning staff are often the first to be cut in the name of efficiency.
He added that the only beneficiaries of privatisation are investors and shareholders profiting from people’s ill-health.
In response, a Labour spokesperson defended the plans, stating, “The last Labour government achieved the shortest waiting times and highest patient satisfaction in history. Through our Plan for Change, this Labour government will pull every available lever to cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks. That includes paying for patients to be treated free at the point of use by the independent sector, where spare capacity exists.”
The spokesperson also criticised the Conservatives for their 14 years of neglect, which have led to lengthy waiting times and increased patient suffering. “If your ideology forces NHS patients to wait longer for healthcare, there’s something wrong with your ideology,” they said.
With both sides asserting their positions, the debate on the future of the NHS and the role of the private sector continues to be a key issue for Labour’s leadership.
