The Prime Minister has announced a landmark overhaul of the National Health Service, promising to cut waiting times and invest an additional £8 billion over the next parliament in the most ambitious NHS reform in a generation.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, the PM outlined a ten-year plan that includes the creation of 40 new Community Health Hubs, expanded GP access on evenings and weekends, and a major push to recruit 10,000 new nurses and doctors from within the UK.

"The NHS is the beating heart of this country," the Prime Minister declared to applause from the government benches. "Today we are making a solemn commitment: no patient should wait more than 18 weeks for treatment by 2028."

The opposition welcomed the investment but questioned whether the funding commitments were credible, with the Shadow Health Secretary calling for clarity on how the £8 billion would be sourced.

NHS England chief executive said the reforms represented a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to modernise patient care, adding that digital transformation — including AI-assisted diagnostics — would be central to delivering efficiencies.

Health campaigners broadly welcomed the announcement but warned that meaningful reform would require tackling the chronic underfunding of mental health services and social care.