The NHS faced its busiest winter on record while reducing waiting lists to their lowest in nearly three years.
New figures show 9,110,591 people attended A&E between November and February — the highest ever — and ambulance call‑outs reached 3,223,778. There were almost 130,000 more known ambulance handovers at A&E this winter (1,640,783) compared with two years ago (1,511,758).
Despite record demand, performance in some areas improved. The proportion of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours in emergency departments was 73.6% this winter, the best since 2021/22 (73.8%). Average Category 2 ambulance response times fell to 32 minutes 29 seconds, the fastest for those serious calls since 2020/21.
The elective waiting list decreased to 7.25 million in January 2026, down 43,666 from the previous month, representing an estimated 6.13 million unique patients. Overall the waiting list has fallen by 374,083 since June 2024.
NHS National Medical Director Professor Meghana Pandit said: “The NHS was ready to tackle winter head on this year, which is why despite facing record-breaking demand, staff have delivered the shortest winter waiting times for 4 years – while waiting lists have continued to fall. This is proof that the NHS is starting to turn a corner for patients – but we know the job is far from done. For too long, too many patients have faced the indignity of being treated in hospital corridors. That’s why we’re taking a zero-tolerance approach – with hospital leaders out on the wards and corridors making sure patients are treated with the dignity they deserve. I also want to thank the public for their role in supporting the NHS this winter – these figures show the huge impact of the public getting vital winter jabs.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “After years of rising waiting times, patients are finally starting to see things move in the right direction – with waiting lists at their lowest level for almost 3 years and more people getting treated within 18 weeks. Despite record demand this winter, A&E and ambulance services improved – meaning patients are getting help faster when they need it most, thanks to the hard work of NHS staff, better planning and modernisation. But we won’t take our foot off the gas. We’ll keep cutting waiting times, backing NHS staff and making sure patients get the high-quality care they deserve.”
