Wes Streeting’s big ambition is to cut hospital waiting lists – just as the last Labour government did from 18 months to 18 weeks.
The new Shadow Health Secretary despairs at a record backlog of 5.8million untreated patients.
Not to mention another eight million unable to see GPs because of Covid and who could have life-threatening conditions like cancer.
Mr Streeting said: “If you need a knee op or a hip replacement it has a big impact on your quality of life.
“But when it comes to treatment for cancer, time is of the essence.”
And he knows. The MP lost a kidney to cancer earlier this year but thanks to NHS surgeons and the care of staff at three London hospitals he is now fighting fit.
He said: “I received outstanding care from the moment I arrived at A&E with chronic pain. The staff on the ward were wonderful but there just weren’t enough of them.
“It’s only when you have an experience like that you really appreciate how fantastic the NHS is.
“As soon as I had my diagnosis everything sped up. This incredible machine kicked into gear.
“But before that there was a lot of waiting. And this means there will be a lot of undiagnosed cancer.”
Even before the pandemic 4.5million patients were on waiting lists and there were 100,000 NHS vacancies.
The answer, said Mr Streeting, is better pay and conditions, while keeping a check on the six figure salaries of managers and management consultants.
He added: “The biggest priority is to recruit, train and retain staff for the long term.
“NHS workers who came to see me were in tears because they were on poverty pay and we will lose them if we don’t pay them properly.
“But it’s not simply about money. You need investment but also reform to deliver results for patients.”
His first act is to write to Sajid Javid demanding the Health Secretary comes clean over a promise of 40 new hospitals.
He said: “Boris Johnson counts paint jobs as a new hospital. We need to know more about this phantom programme. People are treated in dilapidated hospitals no longer fit for purpose.”
He wants a return of in-person GP consultations, saying: “Technology frees up time. But face-to-face appointments should be there for those who want it.”
The Ilford North MP slammed Tory hikes in National Insurance and council tax and social care reforms which burden those less well-off.
Mr Streeting said: “The air of mild shambles around the PM reflects the way he runs his Government and that has serious consequences.”
He said mandatory masks in enclosed spaces should never have been abandoned, adding: “They’re a pain in the backside. But they are a minor inconvenience compared to the consequences for lives and livelihoods.”
His promotion at 38 has prompted talk that he could be a Labour leader.
“No leadership ambitions,” he said emphatically. “The only ambition I’ve got is to get Keir Starmer into No10.”
And he has no plans to avoid Christmas parties, adding: “People must make their own common sense judgements.”
