'We're right on track,' says Streeting as key target for hospital waiting times hit

The UK government has narrowly met an interim target for reducing hospital waiting times in England, with 65.3% of patients treated within 18 weeks by March 2026. This milestone is a key step toward the Labour Party’s manifesto pledge of achieving a 92% treatment rate by 2029. The announcement came shortly before Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned, citing a loss of confidence in the Prime Minister and calling for a leadership challenge. Streeting praised the progress, noting that waiting times were below 59% when Labour took office and attributing improvements to government investment and NHS staff efforts. Despite the overall target being met, progress was uneven across hospital trusts. Approximately 40% of trusts failed to meet their individual targets, and 10 saw a decline in performance. The total waiting list also decreased slightly from 7.2 million to 7.1 million, marking the lowest figure in three and a half years. NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey described the achievement as a significant moment, emphasizing the NHS’s resilience amid ongoing strike actions and operational challenges. Experts, however, caution that sustaining this progress will be difficult. Tim Mitchell of the Royal College of Surgeons highlighted persistent issues such as outdated facilities and insufficient theatres and beds, which limit capacity and threaten long-term improvements. Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King’s Fund, noted that the interim target was met largely due to additional government funding introduced earlier in the year, raising concerns about the financial viability of maintaining such "elective sprints" in the future. She also pointed out that focusing on the 18-week target obscures growing waiting lists in other areas, suggesting the government may need to reconsider its broader approach to managing NHS demand.