Next time someone tells you that Labour and the Conservatives are identical

[andrewducker]

Notice the trend up throughout the 90s as things got worse and worse, and then the trend down shortly after Labour took office?

They may have done a lot of things wrong, but the NHS is a lot better off than it was.

From

Comments

[a-pawson.livejournal.com]

Labour also increased spending on the NHS dramatically. Unless you think this money was entirely wasted, I don't think it would be unreasonable to assume that this might be one of the reasons.

[undeadbydawn.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming your question is 'do I think pouring money in has made a difference to waiting time statistics', disregarding any other improvements.

Well, yes. As intimated by my observation that Labour has concentrated almost exclusively on lists and targets. If your core focus is on making statistical tables look better, then that's what'll happen. Or you're doing something very very wrong.