The NHS waiting list counts referral-to-treatment (RTT) pathways in England - patients referred for non-emergency hospital care who haven't started treatment y…
NHS England's July 2026 RTT statistics recorded 7.33 million open pathways, with 65.4% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks. Around 111,000 pathways had waited ov…
The waiting list fell to 7.11 million, its lowest level in roughly three and a half years, with 65.3% of pathways within 18 weeks - meeting the government's interim reco…
The government published a new elective care reform plan committing to restore the 92%-within-18-weeks constitutional standard by March 2029, with an interim milestone o…
NHS England data published in September 2023 confirmed the RTT waiting list had reached a record 7.7 million pathways - the highest since modern monthly reporting began…
The pandemic forced hospitals to pause routine elective operations for months to redirect capacity to emergency care. The list briefly looked smaller as referrals collap…
February 2016 is the last month the NHS nationally achieved the 92%-within-18-weeks constitutional standard. The waiting list had already climbed to around 3.5 million e…
After bottoming out around 2.3-2.4 million between 2009 and 2012, the list began a sustained rise as NHS spending growth slowed after the 2008 financial crisis while ref…
NHS England's monthly RTT statistics began in March 2007. The list fell from about 3.51 million in January 2008 to around 2.32 million by January 2010 - the lowest point…
The National Health Service launched on 5 July 1948 under Health Minister Aneurin Bevan, offering healthcare free at the point of use. Demand outstripped Treasury projec…
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