NHS abandons 18-week waiting times in 'trade-off'

Patients must wait longer for non-urgent operations in exchange for improved care elsewhere, says chief executive

NHS sign outside St Thomas's hospital in London
(Image credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

NHS patients in England will have to wait longer for non-urgent operations and go without some new drugs under new plans to be announced today.

GPs will also be asked to cut back on the number of patients they refer to hospital and to encourage options such as physiotherapy instead.

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