NHS waiting lists fall but patients facing record waits in A&Es

• The total waiting list for procedures and appointments stood at 7.29 million in December 2025, down from 7.31 million in November.
• The NHS delivered a record 18.4 million elective treatments and operations in 2025, up from 18.0 million in 2024.
• There were 2.32 million attendances at A&Es across England in January, making it the busiest January on record.
• A total of 161,141 patients waited more than four hours from a decision to admit to hospital to being admitted in January, the second highest on record.
• Some 71,517 patients waited more than 12 hours from a decision to admit to hospital to being admitted in January, the highest on record.
• In January 192,168 patients who attended A&E were there for more than 12 hours, the highest number in records going back to February 2023.
• There were 837,464 ambulance incidents in January, the second highest on record and down from 846,262 in December.
• Overall virus levels continued to drop, with 2,891 beds closed or occupied due to Covid-19, flu, norovirus and paediatric RSV last week. The week before this figure was 3,264.
• There were 13,660 beds on average each day were filled with patients no longer meeting the criteria to reside in hospital last week, down from 13,714 the week before.

Responding to the latest NHS performance statistics and urgent and emergency care situation reports, Rory Deighton, acute and community care director speaking on behalf of NHS Providers and the NHS Confederation, said:

“NHS leaders and their teams have been working incredibly hard to meet rising demand and tackle care backlogs, so it is very welcome to see this starting to pay off through greater productivity and falling waiting lists. Delivering record levels of elective activity in 2025 is testament to the dedication of staff working night and day to provide vital care to patients.

“But while the continued drop in seasonal viruses is good news, the NHS remains under immense pressure, with A&Es seeing record numbers of attendances last month and ambulances facing record levels of incidents in December and January. Unfortunately, many patients are still having to wait too long for care and the surge in patients waiting more than 12 hours in emergency departments to record levels is very concerning, with high numbers of people also a waiting a long time to be admitted to hospital. These long waits can be harmful to patients and cause distress to staff.

“There are also still high numbers of patients in hospital who are medically well enough to go home – often due to a lack of social and community care – which can cause delays in finding beds for incoming patients, creating a domino effect of longer ambulance and A&E waits.

“NHS leaders are under no illusions that there is a long way to go if the service is to consistently hit its key performance targets, despite good progress so far. Prevention is better than cure and we need to do more to shift care closer to people’s homes. Continued improvements will also require sustained focus, realistic planning and ongoing support, especially in the context of workforce pressures, constrained finances and the potential for yet more industrial action.”