The government has announced that it achieved its target of providing an additional two million NHS appointments seven months ahead of schedule, even as the health secretary cautions that there is still a "hell of lot more to do".

According to new data released by NHS England, nearly 2.2 million more elective care appointments were delivered between July and November last year compared to the same period in the previous year, as reported by City AM.

The government rolled out 'Change NHS' in October last year, a decade-long health strategy aimed at "building a health service fit for the future". Last Thursday, it shared data indicating a slight decrease in the overall NHS backlog from 7.48 million to 7.46 million, with the estimated number of patients waiting dropping from 6.28 million to 6.24 million.

However, Monday's figures provided a more detailed picture, revealing that the NHS offered an additional 100,000 treatments, tests, and scans each week, along with over half a million extra diagnostic tests.

Wes Streeting told BBC Breakfast that while the government had "delivered on our first step", his department was not "doing victory laps".

He acknowledged the ongoing challenges, stating, "There are still massive challenges in the NHS, a hell of a lot further to go on waiting lists," and added, "People are still struggling to get GP appointments, and GPs are struggling."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the latest data, asserting, "We're determined to go further and faster to deliver more appointments, faster treatment, and an NHS that the British public deserve as part of our plan for change."

Following a recent study, new figures have indicated that nearly one in eight people in Britain now have medical insurance, reaching a near-record high. Hospital and healthcare market intelligence provider Laingbuisson reports that almost 12% of the UK population is covered by medical insurance, marking the highest rate since 2008.

The Health Secretary has been openly encouraging the use of the private health sector to alleviate NHS waiting lists. Last month, Streeting remarked, "I'm not going to allow working people to wait longer than is necessary when we can get them treated sooner in a private hospital, paid for by the NHS."

In discussing with BBC Radio 4 this morning, the Health Secretary expressed his backing for private contributions to the NHS, stating, "I certainly want more patient choice, more patient power, more patient control over where they're seen, how they're treated, the nature of their appointments."

He further highlighted the need for the NHS's customer service levels by adding, "The NHS should be as responsive as any other organisation that we use."

Regarding private investment, he noted, "I think there is a role for private investment, but the terms of those arrangements, that's where you've got to tread really carefully. But I'm open to serious proposals from the NHS, or indeed anyone else,".