NHS waiting list drops to 26-month low as record treatments delivered

The NHS waiting list in England has reached a 26-month low, as health services deliver record numbers of treatments amidst a push to address long-standing backlogs. According to data released by NHS England, the elective waiting list dropped to 7.36 million in May, marking a reduction of nearly 30,000 cases. This follows a period of intense focus on increasing clinical capacity and reforming patient pathways.

The service delivered 1.5 million treatments throughout May, a figure that surpasses both the performance in April and pre-pandemic levels from May 2019. The volume of care provided — averaging 75,009 treatments per working day — represents the highest rate on record. Alongside this, the proportion of patients waiting 18 weeks or less for planned care reached 60.9%, the highest share recorded since July 2022.

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A Strategy of Reform

The government attributes this trend to the implementation of its Elective care reform plan, which has been supported by significant investment. Central to this strategy is the “Advice and Guidance” scheme, which facilitates digital collaboration between GPs and hospital specialists to divert patients away from traditional hospital waiting lists. NHS England reports that over 99% of practices have signed up, with projections suggesting up to 2 million patients are expected to avoid an unnecessary hospital wait in the next year.

However, the path to restoring the constitutional requirement, which mandates that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks, remains steep. Academic modelling suggests the elective waiting list would need to be reduced to 3.4 million to consistently meet this target, a feat that would require the removal of roughly 1 million additional patients from the list each year through the end of the current parliament.

Lingering Challenges

While elective performance shows signs of improvement, urgent and emergency care services continue to face extreme pressure. June saw the busiest month for A&E attendances on record, with average daily attendances of over 78,300. The British Medical Association has noted that despite performance improvements in specific metrics, the system remains under chronic strain, often exacerbated by the “corridor care” crisis. This occurs when patients wait for prolonged periods in inappropriate areas due to bed shortages and delayed discharges, where patients medically fit for release remain in wards due to a lack of social care capacity.

The situation remains complex across different clinical areas:

• Cancer Care: Performance remains below operational standards.
• Ambulance Services: Despite high incident volumes, teams reached patients faster with category 1 response times 26 seconds quicker on average than June 2024.
• Regional Disparities: Modelling indicates that certain regions, such as the Midlands, require more significant resources to address vacancy rates in acute medical staff compared to others.

What to Watch Next

As the NHS moves into the summer, several factors will determine whether this trajectory can be sustained. Health leaders have expressed concern regarding the impact of potential industrial action, which could disrupt the progress made in elective delivery. Furthermore, the 10 Year Health Plan unveiled ways to bring the NHS closer to home, with neighbourhood health services to be rolled out across the country.

Transparency initiatives are also expanding. NHS England is rolling out a new dashboard enabling patients to compare their local trust’s performance on overall waiting lists, cancer, diagnostic test and checks and A&E waits.