Wes Streeting's two-word response to fining patients missing NHS appointments

has said he is "open-minded" to fining people who miss appointments. Figures from the NHS show around eight million hospital appointments are missed annually, representing about one in 15 and costing the health service over £1billion per year.

Mr Streeting told Times Radio he wasn't considering fines for no-shows currently, but if the problem were to persist in the future he would be "open-minded" to the idea.

He said: "At this stage it's not something I'm looking at doing, but once we've got the system working effectively - if we still have this problem of missed appointments - then I might be more open-minded."

The Health Secretary said he wanted to "fix" the reasons the NHS "causes" people to miss appointments and improve how patients choose and book appointments.

When former prime minister ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2022, he said he would introduce £10 fines for missed NHS and GP appointments, but that idea was ditched.

Mr Streeting insisted on Sunday (October 20) that the Labour Government has "hit the ground running" when it comes to improving the NHS.

He told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg the Government has already ended the junior doctors' strikes and has got 1,000 more GPs onto the front line.

A ban on junk food advertising targeted at children, the Smoking Bill and a Mental Health Bill "that's also ready to go" were also hailed as progress by the health secretary.

He added: "We have hit the ground running and certainly in the aftermath of the Budget as well, when we're publishing our elective recovery plan, people will see not only how we deliver the 40,000 more appointments every week that we promised, but also do it in a way that is more productive and gets better outcomes for patients and better value for taxpayers."

Pushed on whether there have been any extra appointments of the 40,000 promised by Labour at the election, Mr Streeting told the BBC the Government is "ramping up".

Asked when the target would be met, Mr Streeting said he would confirm in a year's time whether the Government has met it.

He said in a matter of days a crack team of clinicians will be heading into hospitals where there are high waiting lists as well as people off work to bring the numbers down.

The NHS has been reported to be in line for a real-terms budget increase when Chancellor Rachel Reeves announces her spending plans on October 30, although Government sources have said suggestions of a 3-4 percent increase are not accurate.

Health policy experts have suggested such an increase would be necessary to deliver on Labour's plans to improve the NHS and bring waiting lists down.

Saffron Cordery, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Providers, also said more funding would be needed to deliver the Government's plan.

She said: "Trust leaders will work with the Government to get to grips with the challenges facing health and social care and to deliver improvements. They know the NHS needs to work differently and go further and faster to improve care for patients.

"However, this must go hand-in-hand with sustainable funding and investment, particularly for capital, an end to chronic workforce shortages and more support to meet growing demand, not just in hospitals but across mental health, community and ambulance services too."