In England, the NHS waiting list has experienced the most significant decline in 15 years, excluding the pandemic. The latest monthly NHS data reveals a reduction of 86,000 in the backlog of operations and appointments, bringing the waiting list down to 7.31 million by the end of November. This marks a notable turnaround for the NHS following years of increasing waiting lists under previous Tory administrations.
Despite this progress, unions and advocacy groups are urging the Government to accelerate efforts to reduce NHS wait times by allocating more funding to the struggling health service. Health Secretary Wes Streeting emphasized the government’s commitment to delivering tangible improvements in NHS services, with waiting lists decreasing by over 312,000 and more patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks.
The NHS elective waiting list in England had been steadily rising for over a decade, reaching milestones of three million treatments in 2014, four million in 2017, five million in 2021, and seven million in 2022 before Labour took office in July 2024, ending a 14-year Conservative rule.
Mr. Streeting highlighted the government’s initiatives to enhance NHS services, including increased evening and weekend appointments, expanded community-based testing, and the establishment of specialized surgical hubs to expedite operations. Additionally, the use of AI notetaking tools has been praised for streamlining doctors’ workflows.
However, challenges persist in A&E departments, with a record high of 554,018 incidents of over 12-hour trolley waits reported in 2025. The Royal College of Nursing recently warned about the ongoing crisis of “corridor care” in emergency wards.
Experts, including Tim Gardner from the Health Foundation, emphasized the critical need for immediate actions to address the strain on emergency services, attributed to years of underinvestment compounded by the impact of the pandemic. The call for expanding bed capacity, stabilizing staffing, and improving hospital flow was echoed by the Society for Acute Medicine.
Despite improvements in some areas, the data showed an increase in A&E wait times, with more patients experiencing extended delays. The Nuffield Trust’s Sarah Scobie emphasized the concerning rise in prolonged waiting times compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Efforts to meet A&E performance targets continue, with the Government aiming for 78% of patients attending A&E to be admitted, discharged, or transferred within four hours by March 2026. Mr. Streeting reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting NHS staff in delivering timely and quality care to patients amid ongoing winter pressures.
The situation underscores the urgent need for sustained efforts to address the challenges facing the NHS and ensure timely and effective healthcare delivery across the system.