NHS England has reported earlier this month that it has been making progress in reducing waiting times for patients.
The national target for England has been set for 65% of patients to be waiting no more than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2026. The long-term goal has been set to have 92% of patients waiting no more than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029.
As of May 2025, it has been reported that 60.9% of patients were waiting less than 18 weeks for treatment. This is a small improvement from the 59.2% figure in November 2024. The overall waiting list has also dropped to 7.36 million patients which is the lowest figure since March 2023.
Statistics show that performance varies between different NHS Trusts, with some showing substantial improvements while others on the other hand are still struggling.
For example, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust have reported that their figures for patients waiting less than 18 weeks for treatment have improved from 54.0% in November 2024 to 58.4% in April 2025.
The BBC has launched an interactive tool so that you can see how well your local NHS services is performing at.
Much work remains to be done for NHS England to meet the target of an 18-week waiting time standard for elective (non-urgent) treatment. As medical negligence solicitors, we welcome shorter waiting times for patients as this means that they are less likely to suffer from the problems delayed treatment can cause.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to the negligence of a medical or health professional then we may be able to help you pursue a claim for compensation. Our leading team of experts are on hand to offer advice, so please get in touch with us on 0161 696 6165 or complete our online enquiry form and we will contact you directly.
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