The NHS has hit its 18‑week waiting time target for the first time in years, following the largest sustained improvement in performance since 2010 – marking a major milestone for elective recovery.
In March, 65.3% of patients were waiting no longer than 18 weeks for treatment, as the overall waiting list fell by more than 312,000 over the past year, with the biggest year‑on‑year reduction in 16 years.
Since July 2024, performance has improved by 6.4 percentage points, meaning around 450,000 fewer people were waiting longer than 18 weeks for NHS treatment by March this year.
The turnaround comes after the NHS delivered its best year on record for elective activity.
Over the past 12 months:
- 506,000 more people started treatment or completed care compared with the previous year
- Total elective activity exceeded 18.6 million treatments
The overall waiting list has fallen to 7.11 million, its lowest level in three and a half years, and is down by 515,000 since July 2024.
The number of patients facing the longest waits has also dropped to its lowest level since July 2020.
- Patients waiting over a year have fallen by 48% in the last 12 months
- Since July 2024, this group has reduced by more than 69% — equivalent to 208,000 people
The improvement follows unprecedented diagnostic activity. Over the last financial year, the NHS carried out 29.9 million tests, checks and scans — the highest number ever recorded.
This progress was delivered despite intense pressure on frontline services, including:
- Record A&E demand
- Rising ambulance callouts
- Unprecedented numbers of GP appointments
Health leaders also navigated three rounds of industrial action, with NHS analysis estimating that strikes in 2025/26 led to the loss of 171,776 appointments and procedures.
NHS Chief Executive Officer, Sir Jim Mackey, said:
“This is a huge moment for the NHS. Hitting our targets for the first time in years hasn’t happened by accident – it’s been down to an absolutely enormous effort from NHS staff up and down the country.
“Today’s achievement goes beyond a set of remarkable statistics – it shows that we’re making real inroads on the things that matter to our patients and communities.
“That our staff have been able to achieve this in a year that’s seen the busiest NHS winter on record, that’s been interrupted though industrial action and that’s since the biggest shake-up of the NHS in its history makes today’s achievement all the more extraordinary.”
The latest figures suggest the NHS’s elective recovery plan is beginning to deliver tangible results, even under sustained operational pressure. While challenges remain, hitting the 18‑week standard signals a significant shift – and a confidence boost for patients, staff and system leaders alike.
Image credit: iStock
