Downing Street on Tuesday admitted that some Britons will find it “very difficult” to access the NHS this winter, as Rishi Sunak tried to regain control of the political agenda in the face of an escalating health crisis.
Sunak, accused by Labour of going missing during a series of strikes and chaotic scenes at Britain’s hospitals, will on Wednesday vow to tackle the problems in the NHS in his first big domestic policy speech as prime minister.
He will also aim to look beyond the UK’s acute social and economic challenges by mapping out priorities for the country, including a new “mission” to ensure all pupils study mathematics until the age of 18.