NHS England reported in May 2026 that 65.3% of patients on the elective waiting list had been waiting 18 weeks or less in March. The overall waiting list had also fallen by more than 312,000 over the previous year.
The improvement is meaningful, but it should not be described as the NHS having fully “met” the constitutional standard for elective care. The long-standing standard is that at least 92% of patients should wait no more than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, and current performance remains well below that level.
The figures nevertheless show a substantial improvement from the position in 2024, with fewer people facing the longest waits and a lower total list. Waiting-time statistics can move for several reasons, including treatment activity, referrals, capacity and changes in how backlogs are managed.
Readers should therefore distinguish between progress toward an operational target and restoration of the full constitutional standard.
Source: NHS England.
