The NHS has reached the 18‑week referral-to-treatment target as waiting times improve sharply, marking the largest year‑on‑year reduction in 16 years.
In March, 65.3% of patients were seen within 18 weeks. Over the past year the waiting list fell by more than 312,000, and performance has improved by 6.4% since July 2024 — equivalent to roughly 450,000 fewer people waiting over 18 weeks in March.
Elective care also posted a record year: 506,000 more people started or completed treatment compared with the previous year, taking the total to more than 18.6 million patients in the last 12 months.
Overall, the waiting list dropped to 7.11 million, the lowest level in 3½ years and down by about 515,000 since July 2024. The number of people waiting longer than a year is at its lowest in six years: those waits have fallen by almost half (48%) over 12 months and by over 69% (around 208,000) since the start of July 2024.
Diagnostic activity reached record levels too, with 29.9 million tests, checks and scans carried out in the last financial year.
These improvements came despite sustained pressure on frontline services: record demand in A&E, rising ambulance callouts and unprecedented numbers of GP appointments. The NHS also experienced three rounds of industrial action; NHS analysis estimates strikes in 2025/26 led to the loss of about 171,776 appointments and procedures.
Sir Jim Mackey, NHS Chief Executive, described the milestone as “a huge moment,” praising staff across the country for their role in delivering the improvement even through the busiest winter on record, industrial action and major organisational change.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the NHS plan is delivering results, calling this the biggest monthly cut in waiting lists in 17 years and crediting government investment, modernisation and staff efforts — while acknowledging there is more to do.
While the statistics show clear progress, health leaders say continued work is needed to sustain reductions, tackle remaining long waits and meet rising demand across services.
