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#GPnews: 4 million patients waiting for planned surgery

11:45 More than 4 million patients are waiting for planned surgery in an NHS hospital for the first time in ten years, the Guardian reports. 

NHS England said that 3.83 million people were on the waiting list for non-urgent hospital care in July – a slight increase on 3.81 million in June.

However, this didn’t include data from six hospitals, which would push it above 4 million.

9:15 Labour has accused the Government of a ’blanket sell-off’ of NHS land to plug a hole in NHS finances.

The BBC and Independent among others reports that LAbour’s analysis of NHS Digital data found that 117 sites deemed surplus to requirements were still in medical or clinical use.

The government has set itself a target of selling off enough public sector land to generate £5bn worth of income by 2020.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: ’This government’s refusal to fund the health service has seen standards of care for patients drop and NHS building and upgrade works pushed back.

’The NHS needs an urgent injection of funding to make up for years of Tory underfunding, but the answer is not a blanket sell-off of sites which are currently being used for patient care.

’It all adds to the suspicion that ministers are drawing up secret plans for a fire sale of valuable NHS assets to plug the black hole in their finances.’

A DH spokesperson said: ’There will be no ‘fire sale’ of NHS assets, but we continue with our ongoing efforts to help hospitals dispose of land they do not need,” a spokesman said.

’This will provide vital funds for the NHS to spend on patient care and free-up space for much needed homes.’