NHS Waiting Times Statistics: Referral to Treatment and A&E Data

What the NHS waiting list is

The NHS waiting list -- officially called the Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting list -- counts the number of open pathways where a patient has been referred by their GP or another clinician for consultant-led elective (non-emergency) treatment and is still waiting to start that treatment. One patient can appear more than once if they are waiting for treatment for different conditions at the same time. That is why the headline figure of pathways is higher than the number of individual patients.

The waiting list does not include people waiting for a GP appointment, emergency care, mental health services (which have separate waiting time measures), diagnostic tests when those tests are not linked to a referral, or community health services. It also covers England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each publish separate NHS performance statistics.

Why the waiting list grew so large

Before the pandemic, the NHS was already under strain -- the 18-week referral-to-treatment standard had not been met since 2016. When COVID-19 arrived in March 2020, the NHS suspended non-urgent elective treatment to free up capacity. Millions of planned operations, outpatient appointments, and diagnostic tests were delayed or cancelled. As services reopened, the backlog of deferred care joined the ongoing stream of new referrals, creating a combined surge the NHS struggled to absorb.

The waiting list reached a peak of 7.7 million pathways in September 2023. Since then it has fallen -- to 7.11 million in March 2026 -- as the NHS delivered record elective activity through 2025 (18.4 million treatments, more than any year in history). The fall of over 515,000 from the July 2024 level represents significant progress, though the list ticked back up to 7.22 million in April 2026.

The 18-week target: what it means and where things stand

The NHS constitution standard is that 92% of patients should start their elective treatment within 18 weeks of referral. This standard was routinely met until 2016. A decade of rising demand, constrained funding growth and then the pandemic meant it was not met for the entire period from 2016 to February 2026.

In March 2026, the NHS achieved the 92% standard for the first time in a decade. NHS England described this as a "huge moment." However, the waiting list figure rose again in April 2026, showing how fragile the position remains. The government has pledged to restore the 92% standard sustainably by March 2029. Achieving this alongside a rising population and growing demand for healthcare requires sustained investment in both staff and capacity.

In April 2026, approximately 65% of patients were within the 18-week standard. That means roughly 2.5 million people were waiting longer than the target allows.

A&E waiting times

Accident and emergency performance is measured separately from the elective waiting list. The NHS target is that 95% of patients attending A&E should be seen, treated, transferred or discharged within four hours. In March 2026, 63.8% of patients were seen within four hours -- meaning 36.2% waited longer. The proportion waiting over four hours reached a record high of 50.4% in December 2022 and has since improved but remains well above the 95% target.

In May 2026, NHS England reported an average of 2,241 instances of corridor care in emergency departments per day -- patients being treated in corridors rather than in cubicles. This figure likely understates the true scale because it does not capture all forms of overcrowding and lacks historical comparison data.

Cancer waiting times

Cancer waiting time standards measure how quickly patients move from urgent referral to diagnosis and then to treatment. The two-month (62-day) standard -- that 85% of patients should receive their first treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral -- was met routinely before 2020 but has not been met since. In April 2026, 70.0% of patients were treated within 62 days, below the 85% standard. The government launched a National Cancer Plan in early 2026, committing to meet all cancer waiting time standards by 2029.

NHS workforce: more staff but still shortfalls

NHS staff numbers have increased. Doctor numbers grew by 24% and nurse numbers by 22% in the five years to February 2026. Despite this, the NHS vacancy rate was 6.7% in December 2025, meaning roughly 1 in 15 NHS posts was unfilled. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan set out a strategy to train more staff domestically and reduce dependence on international recruitment, but the impact will take years to come through fully.

What a long wait means in practice

Waiting for elective treatment is not just inconvenient -- it can have real consequences for health outcomes, quality of life, and the ability to work. Someone waiting for a hip replacement may be in significant pain and unable to do their job. Someone waiting for a mental health assessment may be managing on their own without clinical support. The median wait of 11.9 weeks means the typical patient is waiting nearly three months from referral to starting treatment -- almost double the 7.2-week pre-pandemic median.

Patients have certain rights under the NHS Constitution. If waiting times are too long, patients may be entitled to be seen at a different hospital or NHS provider. The NHS website (nhs.uk) and local commissioners can advise patients on their options and whether they are entitled to exercise their right to choose.

Private healthcare and NHS waiting times

One consequence of long NHS waiting lists has been increased demand for private medical insurance and self-pay healthcare. People who can afford to pay privately have chosen to do so for procedures where the NHS wait is long, such as orthopaedics, ophthalmology, and some cancer screenings. The Association of British Insurers reported significant growth in private medical insurance in 2024 and 2025 in response to the NHS waiting times position.

How many people are waiting for NHS treatment?

In April 2026, there were 7.22 million pathways on the NHS England elective waiting list, covering approximately 6.11 million individual patients. Around 2.53 million had waited more than 18 weeks and approximately 100,000 had waited more than a year.

What is the NHS 18-week target?

The NHS constitution standard is that 92% of patients should start elective treatment within 18 weeks of referral. This standard was last consistently met in 2016. The NHS met the target in March 2026 for the first time since then, but the government's goal is to restore it sustainably by March 2029.

How long is the average NHS wait in 2026?

The median (middle) waiting time was 11.9 weeks in April 2026, compared with 7.2 weeks in April 2019 before the pandemic. This means the typical patient waits nearly three months from GP referral to starting treatment.

What was the peak NHS waiting list?

The NHS England waiting list peaked at 7.7 million pathways in September 2023. By March 2026 it had fallen to 7.11 million -- a reduction of over 515,000 from July 2024 -- before rising slightly to 7.22 million in April 2026.

Is NHS A&E performance meeting its target?

No. In March 2026, 63.8% of A&E patients were seen within four hours. The NHS target is 95%. Performance reached a record low of 49.6% in December 2022 and has since improved but remains well below target.

Are cancer waiting times being met?

No. In April 2026, 70.0% of cancer patients were treated within 62 days of urgent referral. The target is 85%. The National Cancer Plan launched in 2026 commits to meeting all cancer standards by 2029.