NHS ENGLAND HITS 18-WEEK WAITING TIME TARGET

NHS England has met its 18-week referral-to-treatment target for the first time in years, with 65.3% of patients waiting within that threshold as of March. The overall waiting list fell to 7.11 million, its lowest level in three and a half years and down by more than 515,000 since July 2024. Around 450,000 fewer people were waiting beyond 18 weeks in March compared with July 2024, representing a performance improvement of 6.4 percentage points. The number of patients facing the longest waits is now at its lowest point in six years.

The NHS recorded its best year on record for elective care, with 506,000 more people starting or completing treatment compared with the previous year, bringing the 12-month total to over 18.6 million. The number of patients waiting more than a year fell by 48% over the past 12 months and by over 69% — equivalent to 208,000 people — since July 2024. NHS England carried out a record 29.9 million diagnostic procedures in the last financial year. Industrial action in 2025/26 resulted in the loss of an estimated 171,776 appointments and procedures, according to NHS analysis.

NHS England Chief Executive Sir Jim Mackey attributed the improvement to sustained effort from staff across the country. The results were achieved alongside record demand in accident and emergency departments, rising ambulance callouts, and unprecedented volumes of GP appointments. The waiting list reduction of more than 312,000 over the past year represents the largest year-on-year fall in 16 years. The 18-week target figure of 65.3% matches the NHS constitutional standard for referral-to-treatment waiting times.