NHS Waiting List Falls for Fourth Consecutive Month to Lowest Level Since 2023
The NHS waiting list for hospital treatment in England has decreased for the fourth consecutive month, falling to an estimated 7.22 million treatments — its lowest point since February 2023 — despite ongoing industrial action by resident doctors, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledging progress would have been "faster" without the strikes.
Background
Reducing NHS waiting lists has been one of the central pledges of the Labour government since taking office. The waiting list peaked at nearly 7.8 million cases in September 2024 and has been on a gradual downward trajectory since, though it remains substantially higher than the 4.6 million recorded before the pandemic in December 2019.
Key Developments
The latest NHS England data shows the waiting list now stands at approximately 7.22 million treatments, affecting around 6.11 million individual patients. The number of patients waiting over a year for treatment has also fallen to its lowest level since August 2020, with approximately 123,000 patients waiting more than 12 months.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting welcomed the figures but acknowledged that progress would have been faster without the ongoing industrial action by resident doctors. The government's target is to reach 65% of patients seen within 18 weeks by March 2027, working towards the NHS constitutional standard of 92% by March 2030. Currently, only around 60% of patients are being seen within 18 weeks.
The BMA's latest backlog data analysis, published on 16 April, highlights that while the headline waiting list figure is improving, significant challenges remain. Emergency care continues to face severe pressure, with 40.2% of patients in major A&E departments waiting over four hours in April 2026. Cancer treatment targets are also being missed, with only 67.1% of patients starting their first treatment within 62 days of urgent referral — well below the 85% target.
Why It Matters
The sustained reduction in the waiting list is a significant milestone for the NHS and the government, demonstrating that the combination of increased capacity, new Community Diagnostic Centres, and targeted investment is beginning to have an effect. However, the pace of improvement remains slow relative to the scale of the challenge.
What's Next
The government is expected to publish further details of its NHS reform plans in the coming weeks. The BMA has called for increased funding, measures to retain the medical workforce, and better collaboration between primary and secondary care. Read more at Yahoo News UK.
