References

Department of Health and Social Care. PM sets out plan to end waiting list backlogs through millions more appointments. 2025. https://tinyurl.com/yaznvdzh (accessed 9 January 2025)

NHS England. Major plan to cut waiting lists will see millions receive faster diagnosis and treatment. 2025. https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/01/major-plan-to-cut-waiting-lists-will-see-millions-receive-faster-diagnosis-and-treatment/ (accessed 9 January 2025)

The King's Fund. Waiting times for elective (non-urgent) treatment: referral to treatment (RTT). 2024. https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/data-and-charts/waiting-times-non-urgent-treatment (accessed 9 January 2025)

The Nuffield Trust. NHS hospital care: Who is waiting and what are they waiting for?. 2024. https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/nhs-emergency-and-planned-care-who-is-waiting-and-what-waiting-for (accessed 9 January 2025)

Elective plan to cut NHS waiting lists

02 January 2025
Volume 7 · Issue 1

Abstract

The government has pledged to meet the 18-week NHS waiting time standard by March 2029. It says every Trust will need to deliver a minimum 5 percentage point improvement by March 2026, with sufficient increases annually to reach 92% in 2029 (Department of Health and Social Care, 2025). The Elective Reform Plan, published by NHS England, includes expanded use of community diagnostic centres in which more people will be able to access tests and checks, and an increase in the number of surgical hubs, ‘which help protect planned care from the impact of seasonal and other pressures’ (NHS England, 2024).

The government has pledged to meet the 18-week NHS waiting time standard by March 2029. It says every Trust will need to deliver a minimum 5 percentage point improvement by March 2026, with sufficient increases annually to reach 92% in 2029 (Department of Health and Social Care, 2025). The Elective Reform Plan, published by NHS England, includes expanded use of community diagnostic centres in which more people will be able to access tests and checks, and an increase in the number of surgical hubs, ‘which help protect planned care from the impact of seasonal and other pressures’ (NHS England, 2024).

The government has said it will ‘drive forward progress on [the] first steps commitment to deliver 2 million extra appointments in its first year, equivalent to 40 000 every week’, and that the reforms will ‘put patients first, harness technology to support staff and help the NHS to do things more efficiently’. NHS England (2024) also said that patients waiting for surgery will be offered support to lose weight and stop smoking.

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