A&E waiting times in England have fallen to their lowest level in five years, despite the NHS treating a record number of patients during what has been described as a “prolonged winter”.
New figures show that 2.43 million people attended A&E in March, the highest monthly total on record and 16,000 more than the previous peak in May 2024. Despite this unprecedented demand, 77.1 per cent of patients were seen within four hours, the best performance since July 2021.
The surge in A&E attendances was driven in part by increased demand following reports of a meningitis outbreak in mid‑March, which placed additional pressure on emergency departments across the country.
Even so, NHS performance continued to improve, with England’s Chief Medical Officer describing the service as being “within touching distance” of its elective recovery target.
Alongside improvements in urgent and emergency care, the NHS is continuing to make progress in reducing waiting times for planned treatment.
The service is working towards its target of 65 per cent of patients being treated within 18 weeks by the end of March, which has not been achieved since November 2021.
At the end of February 2026:
- 62.6 per cent of patients were waiting less than 18 weeks, an increase of 1.1 percentage points on January
- The overall waiting list fell to 7.22 million, down 31,006 in a single month
- Waiting lists are more than 400,000 lower than in July 2024
NHS data also shows that cancer diagnosis times are now the fastest on record.
In February, more than four in five people (80.5 per cent) with suspected cancer were either diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days, the highest proportion ever achieved.
In total, 208,293 patients received a definitive result within the four‑week standard during the month, giving people faster certainty and earlier access to treatment where needed.
Performance has also improved across ambulance services, particularly for the most serious incidents.
In March:
- Average response times for Category 2 emergencies, such as suspected heart attacks and strokes, fell to 26 minutes and 18 seconds
- This marked the fastest response time since May 2021
The NHS carried out 29,863,709 tests and checks between March 2025 and February 2026, more than one million more than the previous year.
This expansion in diagnostic activity is helping speed up diagnosis and treatment across multiple care pathways.
The progress follows a recent announcement of 36 new and expanded Community Diagnostic Centres, backed by a £237 million government investment.
The centres are designed to increase diagnostic capacity and deliver tests and scans closer to home, reducing pressure on hospitals and speeding up access to services.
Despite exceptional winter pressures and record demand, the latest figures demonstrate sustained improvement across:
- A&E waiting times
- Elective care backlogs
- Cancer diagnosis speeds
- Ambulance response times
- Diagnostic capacity
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS Deputy CEO and Medical Director, said:
“I am incredibly proud of the work that NHS staff have put in over the past year to get us within touching distance of our elective recovery target.
“This progress has been achieved despite the busiest winter on record and disruption caused by industrial action. This shows the determination of staff to get back to delivering on their commitments no matter how challenging the circumstances have been.
“Pressure on services remain very high, with more people attending A&E in March than ever before, following prolonged winter demand.
“Despite this, NHS staff saw patients faster than at any point in recent years - as the NHS turnaround continues.”
Image credit: iStock
