Rishi Sunak flew by taxpayer-funded private plane to Leeds for a visit to the NHS

The Prime Minister was pictured boarding the RAF plane Monday morning for the visit as he scrambles to get a handle on the crisis engulfing the NHS

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak boards an RAF plane as he travels to Rutland Healthcare Center at Leeds Community Healthcare. (

Image: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street)

Rishi Sunak took a taxpayer-funded private jet to visit a health center in Leeds.

The Prime Minister was pictured boarding the RAF plane Monday morning for the visit as he struggles to get a handle on the crisis engulfing the NHS.

Downing Street has defended its decision to make the 200-mile journey aboard a luxury business jet, rather than public transport.

A train from London to Leeds takes around 2 hours 15 minutes - with a day trip in standard class available for around £100.

If the Prime Minister wanted to travel first class for the trip, it would cost him around £155.

Leeds was going to get a high-speed rail line from London, until the Tories scrapped it.

It comes after he urged other nations to meet their climate commitments during a visit to the COP27 summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt last year.

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Picture:

POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Prime Minister's official spokesperson said: "The transport the Prime Minister takes will vary and will always be carried out according to the most efficient use of his time, allowing him to travel throughout the UK when there is a lot of pressure on his time.

"This will vary depending on what is most appropriate."

Mr. Sunak visited the medical office at Rutland Lodge on Monday to meet with patients and caregivers at a health center focused on treating patients at home rather than in hospital.

Amid scenes of crisis in hospitals, the government announced plans to buy thousands of nursing home beds to free up beds and ease pressure on A&Es and ambulances.

In a statement to Parliament yesterday, the Health Secretary...