NHS waiting list grows but waiting times decrease

The figures show that, whilst the total number of patients on the list has risen from 7.36m last month, the average wait time is down from 13.6 weeks in May 2025 to 13.4 weeks in June 2025. Figures from May saw a 30,000 patient drop from 7.39m patients in April 2025 to 7.36m in May 2025. The number of patients being seen within the Government's 18-week target also grew to 61.5%, up from 60.9% in May 2025. Dawn Prescott, head of proposition, The Exeter, said: "Staff across the NHS continue to go above and beyond, but today's figures make clear the system is still struggling to keep ...