Listen to the article
NHS Waiting List Shows Notable Drop, but Challenges Remain
The NHS waiting list for elective care in England decreased by approximately 86,000 between October and November 2025, a reduction the government has highlighted as a significant achievement. Despite this improvement, the overall waiting list remains at about 7.3 million, substantially higher than pre-pandemic levels.
According to data released by NHS England, this November drop represents the second largest monthly decrease in the waiting list in fifteen years, excluding the early pandemic period. Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting emphasized the significance of this reduction, stating: “For too long, patients were promised change in the NHS but saw little of it. This government is turning promises into change people can actually feel.”
Elective care encompasses non-emergency treatments where patients require medical intervention for conditions that aren’t immediately life-threatening. Common examples include knee replacements or cataract surgeries, which are scheduled for future dates rather than provided immediately.
The pandemic severely impacted these scheduled treatments, causing the waiting list to balloon to an unprecedented 7.8 million in September 2023. By the time the Labour government took office in July 2024, this figure had already decreased to approximately 7.6 million, continuing its downward trend to the current 7.3 million.
It’s worth noting that these figures represent individual treatments rather than patients, as some individuals may be waiting for multiple procedures simultaneously. When the waiting list peaked at 7.8 million in September 2023, this represented about 6.5 million unique patients.
While the recent reduction is promising, the current waiting list remains significantly higher than the pre-pandemic level of approximately 4.5 million. More concerning is the government’s target to have 92 percent of patients treated within 18 weeks by 2029 – a constitutional NHS standard that hasn’t been met since 2015.
Currently, only about 62 percent of patients receive treatment within the 18-week timeframe, a figure that has shown no improvement over the last three months. The government has established an interim target of reaching 65 percent by March 2026, though current trends raise questions about whether this milestone will be achieved.
Access to timely care also varies considerably depending on the type of treatment needed. For instance, nearly 600,000 people are waiting for ear, nose, and throat procedures, with only 52 percent having waited less than 18 weeks. Similarly, of the more than 300,000 patients awaiting oral surgery, just 52 percent have been waiting under 18 weeks.
These statistics highlight the uneven distribution of healthcare delays across different specialties, creating disparities in patient experiences depending on their specific medical needs.
The current government inherited a healthcare system under significant strain, with waiting lists that had already begun to decline but remained historically high. While the administration can point to continued improvements in the overall numbers, the more challenging metrics around wait times show limited progress.
Healthcare experts note that reducing the backlog requires not just addressing the volume of patients but also improving efficiency and capacity within the system. Without structural improvements, the constitutional standard of treating 92 percent of patients within 18 weeks may remain elusive even by the 2029 target.
As the NHS continues to recover from the pandemic’s impact, patients across England will be closely watching whether these modest improvements in waiting list figures translate into meaningful reductions in their own wait times for essential care.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
20 Comments
While a notable drop in the waiting list is positive, the fact that it remains at around 7.3 million is still concerning. Patients deserve timely access to the care they need, so more work is clearly required to fully address the challenge.
You raise a fair point. The government will need to sustain its efforts and continue implementing strategies to further drive down the waiting list and ensure patients receive the care they require in a timely manner.
It’s encouraging to see the government highlighting this reduction in the NHS waiting list as a significant achievement. Steady progress is important, but the scale of the challenge ahead remains substantial.
Agreed. While any progress is welcome, the government will need to demonstrate a consistent and comprehensive plan to address the root causes and systematically reduce the waiting list to pre-pandemic levels.
While a notable drop in the waiting list is positive, the fact that it remains at around 7.3 million is still concerning. Patients deserve timely access to the care they need, so more work is clearly required to fully address the challenge.
You raise a fair point. The government will need to sustain its efforts and continue implementing strategies to further drive down the waiting list and ensure patients receive the care they require in a timely manner.
The pandemic undoubtedly caused major disruptions to elective care, so it’s reassuring to see the waiting list starting to come down, even if the overall numbers remain high. Continued focus on efficiency and capacity will be key to further progress.
Absolutely. Steadily reducing the backlog and improving access to non-emergency treatments should be a top priority for the NHS and the government as they work to strengthen the healthcare system.
The pandemic undoubtedly caused major disruptions to elective care, so it’s reassuring to see the waiting list starting to come down, even if the overall numbers remain high. Continued focus on efficiency and capacity will be key to further progress.
Absolutely. Steadily reducing the backlog and improving access to non-emergency treatments should be a top priority for the NHS and the government as they work to strengthen the healthcare system.
It’s good to see the NHS waiting list for elective care in England drop, even if it’s still quite high. Reducing the backlog is crucial for improving patient outcomes and access to important non-emergency treatments.
Agreed. While more work is needed, this monthly decrease is an encouraging sign that the government’s efforts to address the NHS waiting list challenges are starting to have an impact.
The pandemic undoubtedly caused major disruptions to elective care, so it’s reassuring to see the waiting list starting to come down, even if the overall numbers remain high. Continued focus on efficiency and capacity will be key to further progress.
Absolutely. Steadily reducing the backlog and improving access to non-emergency treatments should be a top priority for the NHS and the government as they work to strengthen the healthcare system.
While a notable drop in the waiting list is positive, the fact that it remains at around 7.3 million is still concerning. Patients deserve timely access to the care they need, so more work is clearly required to fully address the challenge.
You raise a fair point. The government will need to sustain its efforts and continue implementing strategies to further drive down the waiting list and ensure patients receive the care they require in a timely manner.
It’s encouraging to see the government highlighting this reduction in the NHS waiting list as a significant achievement. Steady progress is important, but the scale of the challenge ahead remains substantial.
Agreed. While any progress is welcome, the government will need to demonstrate a consistent and comprehensive plan to address the root causes and systematically reduce the waiting list to pre-pandemic levels.
It’s encouraging to see the government highlighting this reduction in the NHS waiting list as a significant achievement. Steady progress is important, but the scale of the challenge ahead remains substantial.
Agreed. While any progress is welcome, the government will need to demonstrate a consistent and comprehensive plan to address the root causes and systematically reduce the waiting list to pre-pandemic levels.