Wes Streeting says Brits ‘need to hear the truth’ about the NHS as Labour’s shadow health secretary warns health bosses ‘waste’ too much money and use winter crises as ‘an excuse’ to demand more cash

Wes Streeting said Britons “need to hear the truth” about the NHS as he insisted the country’s health service “is not the envy of the world”.

Labour’s shadow health secretary has slammed “wastefulness and inefficiency”, criticizing NHS bosses for using the annual winter crisis “as an excuse to ask for more money”.

In a signal that his party, if it comes to power at the general election, will not significantly increase health spending, Mr Streeting said the NHS “will have to get used to the fact that money is tight” .

He demanded “better value for taxpayers’ money” from NHS funding, saying Britons were currently getting “the worst of all worlds, which is poor outcomes along with low value”.

‘The NHS is a service, not a temple,’ Mr Streeting said Sunday Timesduring his criticism of how the health service is run.

Wes Streeting said Britons “need to hear the truth” about the NHS as he insisted the country’s health service “is not the envy of the world”.

The shadow health secretary, pictured with Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer, criticized “wastefulness and inefficiency” and criticized NHS bosses for using the winter crisis “to ask for more money”.

Speaking to the newspaper during a visit to Singapore, the Ilford North MP vowed to “shake the NHS and the public out of complacency” over healthcare if he were to join government.

“People need to hear the truth about the NHS,” he said. “It is not the envy of the world, it does not provide the quality of care that any of us want, and unless it changes, it will not survive.”

Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves is proposing tight controls on the party’s spending commitments ahead of the general election.

And Mr Streeting suggested there would not be huge spending on the NHS if Labor came to power.

“I think people working in the NHS and patients using its services can see examples of waste and inefficiency,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s good enough that the NHS uses every winter crisis and every problem it faces as an excuse to ask for more money.”

Mr Streeting suggested that one area where the UK could copy Singapore was in the use of healthcare apps.

This includes rewarding citizens for exercise and diet control with points that can be spent in supermarkets and cafes.

“I’m really interested in exploring this approach,” he said.

“You can imagine what it would be like for a low-income family if their brisk walks around the park a few times a week to help with obesity helped them earn points toward movie tickets or a day at the local theme park.”

“I think there’s huge potential there.”

But Mr Streeting’s comments on health costs threatened a new row with the Labor left.

In response to his interview, Momentum stated: “The NHS needs more money and everyone knows it. Spreading right-wing talking points doesn’t change the facts.”