Cutting NHS waiting lists
Providing timely access to treatment ensures people stay healthier for longer and receive the support they need when it matters most.
Hospital waiting lists
These charts show the total number of referral-to-treatment waits and the number that have been waiting more than 104 weeks (two years).
A wait starts when a hospital receives a referral, usually from a GP. It ends when hospital care begins, or when it is decided that hospital treatment is not needed.
Some people may be included more than once if they are waiting for more than one treatment.
Hospital waiting lists data explained
Description of chart: Waiting lists increased sharply from 2020, reaching a peak in the years following the pandemic. More recently, both measures have fallen, although total waiting lists remain above pre-pandemic levels. The number of referral-to treatment waits being more than two years has fallen substantially from its peak and continues to show a general downward trend.
Each month's data shows the position on the last day of that calendar month.
The figures are based on the health board provider, rather than the patient's health board of residence.
The end of treatment could include:
- operations (such as hip or knee replacements)
- treatment not needing a stay in hospital (for example, medication or physiotherapy)
- beginning the fitting of a medical device such as leg braces
- starting an agreed period of time to monitor the patient’s condition to assess the need for further treatment
- patient declines treatment
- patient dies
Why waiting lists matter
Reduced waiting times can lead to positive outcomes, such as:
- health conditions improving and treatment may be easier
- reduced pain and improved quality of life
- reduced stress and anxiety caused by delays and uncertainty
- reduced inequality, as those less well-off are affected more than others by long waits
- increased ability to return to work more quickly, supporting productivity growth
- supporting reducing demand for social care
Conversely, not improving waiting times can have a negative impact on all these areas. That's why bringing waiting lists down is a key priority for the government.
What we're doing to improve waiting lists
To bring waiting lists down and improve people’s health more broadly, the government is working on the following initiatives:
- investing in capacity, including creating new surgical and diagnostic hubs to increase capacity and direct resources where they're most needed
- reforming existing treatment and diagnostic protocols to adapt to individual patient needs and avoid unnecessary steps or delays
- making greater use of digital tools to improve patient-facing services, focused on fewer missed appointments, more efficient patient discharge and removing duplicate records across systems
- providing additional funding to tackle this, starting with the longest waits