The NHS elective waiting list in England fell below six million for the first time since February 2022, according to figures released by NHS England this week, as the government's elective recovery programme begins to show results.
The Data
The waiting list stood at 5.98 million at the end of February 2026, down from a peak of 7.7 million in late 2023. The number of people waiting more than a year for treatment has fallen by 23% over the same period.
The improvement has been driven by increased use of independent sector hospitals, additional weekend and evening sessions, and targeted investment in the highest-demand specialties including orthopaedics, ophthalmology, and cardiology.
The Caveats
The 18-week constitutional standard — which requires patients to begin treatment within 18 weeks of referral — is still being met for only 62% of patients, against a target of 92%. Pre-pandemic, it was being met for 87%.
Health economists point out that the falling list partly reflects patients who gave up waiting and paid privately, or who are no longer seeking treatment — not all of them because they recovered naturally.
Outlook
The government's target of meeting the 18-week standard for 92% of patients by the end of 2026 is widely considered by NHS insiders to be unachievable in the current funding environment. A more realistic assessment suggests the standard may be met by 2028 at the earliest.
