Hospital Waiting Times Worsen at Over a Third of English Trusts

Recent data show that a substantial proportion of hospital trusts in England have experienced a decline in elective waiting-time performance since November 2024. This trend affects both trusts with historically better and worse records on patient waiting times.

According to a BBC analysis, more than one third of hospital trusts in England reported a deterioration in their elective waiting-time performance over this period. The Nuffield Trust also stated that performance declines have been observed across multiple targets, including accident and emergency waiting times, elective treatment, and diagnostic tests.

While some trusts have seen worsening results, others have reported improvements in the proportion of patients treated within 18 weeks. Mersey and West Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust increased the share of patients seen within this timeframe from 58.7% in November 2024 to 64.2% in April 2025. East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust also recorded an improvement, with 60.1% of patients waiting less than 18 weeks in April 2025, compared to 54.9% in November 2024.

In contrast, Mid and South Essex NHS Trust experienced a decrease in performance, with the proportion of patients waiting under 18 weeks dropping from 52.8% in November 2024 to 47% in April 2025. These variations highlight the differing experiences of trusts across England in managing elective care waiting times.

What the numbers show

• Over one third of hospital trusts in England reported worse elective waiting times since November 2024
• Mersey and West Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust improved from 58.7% to 64.2% of patients seen within 18 weeks between November 2024 and April 2025
• East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust increased from 54.9% to 60.1% of patients seen within 18 weeks in the same period
• Mid and South Essex NHS Trust fell from 52.8% to 47% of patients seen within 18 weeks
• The interim target for March 2026 is 60% of patients seen within 18 weeks or a five-point improvement from November 2024

The interim target set for March 2026 requires each trust to either ensure that 60% of patients are treated within 18 weeks of referral or to achieve an improvement of at least five percentage points compared to their November 2024 position. This target is intended to drive progress across trusts with varying baseline performances.

The Nuffield Trust found that the decline in performance is not limited to elective waiting times. Their analysis indicated that both high- and low-performing trusts have experienced setbacks across several key measures, such as accident and emergency four-hour waits, elective inpatient and outpatient treatment, and diagnostic testing.

Performance data from individual trusts illustrate the range of outcomes across the country. While some trusts have managed to improve their waiting-time figures, others have seen a reduction in the proportion of patients treated within the target period, reflecting ongoing challenges in meeting national standards.

Efforts to meet the interim targets by March 2026 will require trusts to address these challenges, with performance being closely monitored through regular reporting. The differences in recent results demonstrate the complexity of improving waiting times across the healthcare system in England.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.