NHS Waiting Lists Fall to Lowest Level in Nearly Three Years Despite Record Demand
New data from NHS England reveals that the number of people waiting for routine hospital treatment in England is now at its lowest point since February 2023, marking a significant milestone in efforts to reduce backlogs and expand access to care. The total waiting list fell to 7.29 million, helped by historic levels of activity across 2025.
In what was described as the busiest winter on record, NHS staff delivered 18.4 million treatments and operations in 2025 — more than in any other year in the service’s history, and up from 18 million in 2024. Despite challenges including five days of industrial action by resident doctors, almost 1.43 million treatments were carried out in December alone, showing the resilience and commitment of the NHS workforce.
Critically, the proportion of patients waiting over 18 weeks for treatment has decreased to 61.5%, and those waiting more than 52 weeks has fallen to just 1.9% — the lowest figure since June 2020. These improvements are supported by the ongoing Elective Reform Plan, which has expanded community diagnostic centres, established surgical hubs with evening and weekend clinics, and enabled more efficient “straight to test” pathways.
However, the NHS continues to face intense pressure. Emergency care demand remains high, with record numbers attending A&E and rising flu and norovirus cases adding to winter workload. Nevertheless, improvements in four-hour A&E performance and ambulance response times suggest progress in urgent care delivery even as pressures persist.
Health leaders say this latest data reflects extraordinary effort from NHS teams nationwide, and demonstrates that with innovation, planning and dedication, waiting times can be cut while meeting unprecedented demand.
