18-week target met and half-a-million waiting list drop

The NHS has hit its target for the number of patients waiting 18-weeks. In March, 65.3% of patients were waiting 18-weeks, as the waiting list fell by over 312,000 last year, the largest year-on-year reduction in 16 years. The improvement in performance by 6.4% since July 2024 means approaching half a million (450,000) fewer people were waiting over 18 weeks for NHS treatment in March this year. The NHS also recorded its best year on record for elective care, with more than half a million (506,000) more people starting treatment or completing care compared with last year, taking the total to over 18.6 million in the last 12 months.