The NHS recorded its busiest March on record, with 2.43 million A&E attendances — about 16,000 more than the previous high in May 2024 — amid what officials described as a prolonged winter and a mid‑March meningitis outbreak that helped drive demand. Despite the surge, A&E performance improved: 77.1% of patients were seen within four hours, the best result since July 2021.
Progress was also reported on elective care recovery. England’s senior clinicians say the service is close to meeting its target of treating 65% of patients within 18 weeks by the end of March. At the end of February 2026, 62.6% of patients had waited under 18 weeks — an increase of 1.1 percentage points from January — and the overall waiting list fell to 7.22 million, down 31,006 from January and more than 400,000 lower than in July 2024.
Cancer pathways continued to improve: in February 2026, 80.5% of people referred with suspected cancer received a diagnosis or had cancer ruled out within 28 days, a record high. That month 208,293 people received results.
Ambulance performance for the most serious calls, including suspected heart attacks and strokes, also improved. Average response times for those incidents in March were 26 minutes 18 seconds, the best since May 2021. Across the 12 months from March 2025 to February 2026, the NHS carried out a record 29,863,709 tests and checks, more than one million more than the previous year.
To expand diagnostic capacity and deliver more care locally, the government has backed 36 new and expanded Community Diagnostic Centres with a £237 million investment.
NHS deputy CEO and medical director Professor Meghana Pandit praised staff for bringing services close to the elective recovery goal despite the busiest winter on record and disruption from industrial action, while warning that pressures remain high. Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the latest figures show progress since he took office, pointing to falling waiting lists, faster cancer diagnoses and improved ambulance and A&E times. As a kidney cancer survivor, he said he is personally invested in accelerating cancer care but acknowledged more work is needed to cut long waits and sustain recovery.