NHS waiting list climbs to 7.37m, winter pressures already mounting

At the end of August the NHS in England was found to have 7.37 million planned treatments on its waiting list, a figure that has climbed for a second month in a row. Those numbers translate into 6.24 million patients who have yet to receive an operation, scan or specialist appointment. The rise comes despite the summer months seeing the highest ever volume of elective care – 4.7 million procedures across June, July and August – and with demand for services at a record peak.

The data, released by NHS England, shows the list has grown to the largest size since October 2025. The same report notes that 4.7 million of the 7.3 million treatments are for patients who have not yet had a first consultation or diagnostic test, a situation that has been described as an “invisible waiting list crisis”. Of those, 1.6 million have already waited beyond the 18‑week benchmark that the government promises to achieve by 2029.

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While the overall list grows, the proportion of patients who remain unseen is alarming. A separate analysis by the Health Foundation found that referrals to the waiting list have been rising faster than the number of patients being treated, a trend that has stalled progress on cutting waiting times. The same source said that 3 million people on the list have not had a first specialist appointment or diagnostic test since being referred by a GP.

In addition to elective and emergency pressures, organ transplant waiting lists are also at a historic high. NHS Blood and Transplant reported that 8,000 people were actively waiting for a lifesaving transplant, the highest number ever recorded. Over the past decade, more than 12,000 people have died or been removed from the waiting list because they were too ill to receive a transplant. The organisation urges people to register as organ donors, citing that a single registration can save or transform up to nine lives.

Cancer care is another area where delays are widening. A new analysis of NHS figures shows that the national target of 85 percent of patients receiving treatment within 62 days of referral has not been met at a national level since 2014. Only three of 119 acute trusts achieved the 85 percent target last year, with the bulk of trusts recording less than 75 percent of patients treated within that time frame. In some trusts, one in seven patients who began treatment in December had waited more than 104 days from referral.

The NHS Alliance, representing trusts, warns that the relentless growth in demand will keep staff under pressure. The organisation has criticised the government for not prioritising the 18‑week target in the same way it was under the previous administration. The Health Foundation’s Francesca Cavallaro said that while staff have made progress, the rising referrals mean the service must run faster just to stay level, making the pledge increasingly hard to deliver.

Winter is already imposing its own strain. Data from the NHS shows that flu hospitalisations have surged by more than half in a single week, with an average of 2,660 patients in hospital beds with flu last week – the highest ever for this time of year. Norovirus cases have also risen, averaging 354 patients per day. A&E attendances were a record 2.35 million in November, and ambulance incidents rose to 802,525.

NHS England also highlighted that the average ambulance response time for Category 2 emergencies was 32 minutes and 46 seconds, a slight improvement over the previous month but still above the target of seven minutes.

Looking ahead, the NHS faces a dual challenge: meeting the 92 percent 18‑week target by 2029 and avoiding a winter collapse that could see the waiting list grow even further. The government’s 10‑year health plan aims to tackle inequalities, including those seen in cancer, neurodevelopment and maternity services, by channeling billions of pounds to working‑class communities. The plan also proposes a neighbourhood health service to bring care closer to patients, a move that could ease pressure on hospital trusts.

What to Watch Next

• Resident doctors’ strike scheduled for 17 December – potential impact on elective surgery scheduling.

The NHS is navigating a perfect storm of rising demand, record summer activity, a looming winter flu surge and a growing backlog of unseen patients. The government’s 10‑year plan and the NHS Alliance’s calls for prioritised investment in workforce and infrastructure will be put to the test as the country prepares for the next winter. How quickly the system can adapt will determine whether the 7.37 million‑treatment list stabilises or continues to climb.