The National Health Service (NHS) in England is confronting unprecedented challenges due to backlogs, workforce issues, and rising demand, according to a report by

the budget watchdog released on Tuesday. This report underscores the significant hurdles facing Britain's new Labour government.

The Labour administration, which assumed office this month, has declared that Britain's state-run health system is "broken" and has initiated an independent investigation into the state of the NHS.

"The scale of the challenge facing the NHS today and foreseeable in the years ahead is unprecedented," the National Audit Office (NAO) stated in its report.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his team have criticized the previous Conservative government for its legacy, including issues related to public finances, migration, and the prison system.

"Getting the NHS back on its feet is our priority, but it will take time," said a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care.

The previous Conservative government failed to fulfill its promise to reduce hospital waiting lists. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak partially attributed this failure to industrial action and defended his record of investment in the health service.

The NAO report indicated that NHS resource expenditure grew by an average of 3.2% annually in real terms between 2014-15 and 2023-24, below the long-term average growth of 3.6% in healthcare budgets from 1950-51 to 2013-2014, despite a significant increase in spending during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report added that regional health provision coordinators are "struggling to manage the day-to-day pressures of elective recovery following the pandemic, continual rising demand for NHS services, and significant workforce and productivity issues."

"The NHS's financial position is worsening due to a combination of long-standing and recent issues, including failure to invest in the estate, inflationary pressures, and the cost of post-pandemic recovery," the report said.

Siva Anandaciva, chief analyst at health charity The King's Fund, noted that deep financial deficits are now common in the NHS and have "a substantial impact on patients," forcing some trusts to reduce staffing or delay transformation plans.

It is important to note that the UK government controls health policy only in England, as it is a devolved matter in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.