Starmer defends NHS weekend working plans

Keir Starmer has defended his plan to cut NHS waiting lists in England by funding two million more hospital appointments a year out of hours.

Under the scheme, Labour claims £1.1bn per year from scrapping the non-dom tax status would be spent to ensure 40,000 out-of-hours appointments each week.

Sir Keir conceded NHS doctors would still probably earn “more in the private sector” at weekends - but insisted similar schemes had worked elsewhere in the country.