Labour's proposal for a four-day week will not happen for at least a decade, a shadow cabinet minister said today.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth appeared to kick the idea into the long grass after the Tories warned it would swallow up extra billions being pumped into the NHS.
He told Sky News: “The four-day week was a proposal by [shadow chancellor] John McDonnell at the Labour Party conference to look at ways in which we can reduce hours in 10 years’ time by raising productivity.
“The idea that we are going to impose a four-day week on the NHS is complete nonsense.
“The idea is that in 10 years’ time we will look at the economy when productivity has risen, when we have got more automation in the economy, we will have an independent commission to see if there are proposals to reduce people’s hours across the economy.”
But Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Labour’s NHS plans were “in chaos”, adding: “Their four-day week plan for doctors to put their feet up on Fridays is a cost the NHS — and the country — can’t afford.”
Mr Ashworth also said Labour would keep freedom of movement for EU citizens working in the NHS. “If a hospital thinks a nurse, a mental health specialist, or a doctor, a surgeon, is good enough to work in our hospitals, they should be allowed to come and work in our hospitals,” he said.
Labour today pledged a £26 billion real-terms cash injection for the NHS by 2023/24, funded through higher taxes on the wealthy and businesses.
Mr Ashworth said this would fund the recruitment of thousands more staff, increase NHS capital expenditure to the international average, and improve mental health services and preventative care.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said Labour would be spending £26.7 billion more on the day-to-day running of the NHS in England by 2023-24, compared with last year, and the current Tory plans would mean £23.5 billion — a difference of £3.2 billion.
It added that once other health spending is taken into account such as capital expenditure and public health, Labour is intending to spend £9 billion more by 2023-24 than the Conservatives if they freeze the budget for these areas.
George Stoye, a senior research economist at the IFS, said: “Overall, real average annual increases of 4.3 per cent in Department of Health and Social Care spending over the next four years would be considerably larger than average spending increases seen since 2009-10, and also a bit larger than average spending increases prior to 2009-10.”
