England's waiting list for planned NHS hospital care was 7.37 million in August 2026, 1.6 times the 4.57 million before the pandemic
Referral to treatment waiting list: cases waiting to start consultant-led treatment, and the share waiting 18 weeks or less, England, monthly, 2007 to 2026.
65% had waited 18 weeks or less, against 83% before the pandemic. The list counts cases, so someone waiting for two treatments counts twice
Latest figures
| Series | Period | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Cases waiting | August 2026 | 7.37m |
| Share waiting 18 weeks or less | August 2026 | 65.2% |
Notes
- The waiting list counts incomplete referral to treatment pathways: people referred for planned, consultant-led care (such as a hip operation or a cataract removal) who have not yet started treatment. One person can be waiting for more than one thing, so it counts cases, not people.
- Waits are measured from referral, usually by a GP, to the start of treatment. Figures include NHS England's estimates for hospital trusts that did not submit data that month.
- From February 2024, community services are no longer counted.
- This is England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own health services and measure waits differently.
Sources
More on public services
- 74.4% of A&E attendances in England were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours of arrival in September 2026, and 50,582 patients waited over 12 hours from a decision to admit them
- Ambulances in England took a mean of 31 minutes 18 seconds to reach Category 2 calls, such as strokes and heart attacks, in September 2026