The Government has successfully met a key target aimed at reducing waiting times for NHS patients, with health leaders describing it as a “significant achievement”. New data reveals that an estimated 65.3% of patients in England began hospital treatment within 18 weeks of referral in March, up from 62.6% in February and the highest percentage since November 2021. This meets the target set by the Government and NHS England for 65% of patients to be seen within this timeframe by March.
Waiting List Continues to Fall
The overall waiting list for planned hospital treatment in England has decreased for the fifth consecutive month, now standing at its lowest level since summer 2022. At the end of March, an estimated 7.11 million treatments were waiting to be carried out, relating to 6.02 million patients. This is a reduction from 7.22 million treatments and 6.11 million patients at the end of February. The number of treatments waiting is at its lowest since August 2022 (7.07 million) and marks the largest month-on-month drop since April 2020, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Long waits have also decreased significantly. A total of 94,406 people had been waiting more than a year to start routine hospital treatment at the end of March, down from 122,668 at the end of February—the lowest figure since July 2020. Some 1.3% of patients on the list had been waiting over 52 weeks, down from 1.7% the previous month, though the target to reduce this to less than 1% by March was narrowly missed.
Cancer and A&E Targets Missed
Despite progress on elective care, interim targets for cancer and A&E were not met. In April, 76.9% of patients were seen within four hours in A&E departments, down from 77.1% in March, falling short of the 78% target. For cancer, 72.8% of patients began their first definitive treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral in March, below the 75% target. However, 79.4% of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days, exceeding the 75% target.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said in a written statement: “The Government’s plan for the NHS is working. It means we are right on track to deliver the fastest reduction in waiting times in the history of the NHS. That is thanks to the Government’s investment, modernisation, and the remarkable efforts of staff right across the country. Lots done, lots more to do.”
Expert Reactions
Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King’s Fund, called meeting the interim 18-week target “a significant achievement” but warned it might have been “bought at a high price”. She noted the Government funnelled £120 million in extra ‘sprint funding’ into NHS trusts since January to meet the deadline, questioning the sustainability of such funding. She added that the overall target for 92% of patients to be seen within 18 weeks by 2029 remains a major challenge, with an additional 1.9 million waits needing to be seen within 18 weeks to meet that goal.
Tim Gardner, deputy director of policy at the Health Foundation, welcomed the data but highlighted that just over four in 10 acute NHS trusts did not achieve the required improvements. He said: “The real test will be whether this progress can be sustained and built on in the months ahead.”
NHS chief executive Sir Jim Mackey described the achievement as “a huge moment for the NHS”, attributing it to the enormous effort of staff. Cancer Research UK’s chief executive Michelle Mitchell stressed that improvement in cancer waiting times has been slow, with thousands of patients waiting too long for treatment. She urged the Government to invest in staff and equipment to meet its commitments.
