The national waiting list was down by over 40,000 in December, showing continued success for the Government’s ambitious elective care reform plan.
The decline in December, is the fourth month in a row to see waiting lists come down. The number of patients waiting more than a year has also dropped to just 2.7% of all patients waiting for treatment, the lowest level since August 2020.
Labour made tackling the backlog a core part of it’s election pitch, and these figures show that it is more than delivering on that promise.
With staff properly supported, and funding increased, Professor Julian Redhead has said the NHS is now “delivering consistent progress in bringing down the backlog”.
This announcement comes alongside news that the NHS has met the faster diagnosis standard for cancer, despite the fact 20,000 more people received a diagnosis in December 2024 than in 2023.
2 million appointment promise exceeded in just 5 months
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