The NHS waiting list has increased for the first time since August 2024, with the list standing at 7.42 million in March 2025.
The waiting list in March is up from 7.4m in February which marks an increase of 18,751, although this represented a 1.56% decline year-on-year when the waiting list sat at 7.54m. The number of patients seen within the UK Government's target of 18 weeks was up to 59.8% from 59.2% in February, with the number of patients on the list in this timeframe increasing to 4.44m from 4.38m. The average waiting time for patients in March 2025 was down to 13.8 weeks compared to 14.2 weeks in the month prior. This figure saw its decline due to a decrease in the number of patients seen in more than...
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