NHS Fails to Meet Key Performance Targets Amid Growing Waiting Lists
An exclusive analysis has revealed that the National Health Service in England is on track to miss crucial targets for reducing waiting times in accident and emergency departments, cancer care, and planned hospital treatments. This development casts significant doubt on recent pledges made by Health Secretary Wes Streeting to revitalize the NHS by the end of the current parliament in 2029.
Missed Milestones and Patient Impact
The Guardian's examination of the latest NHS data indicates that the health service will not achieve a series of milestone improvements demanded by ministers by the fiscal year's end on Tuesday. This failure means millions of patients across England will continue to face persistently long delays for essential medical care, undermining public confidence in the healthcare system.
Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrats' health spokesperson, emphasized the human cost, stating, "These missed targets have very real human consequences. Patients will now be forced to face long delays for care they desperately need due to an NHS that isn't up to scratch." She criticized the Labour government, accusing it of delivering little on its NHS promises despite high expectations.
Specific Shortfalls in Performance
Despite an extra £120 million injection to fund a pre-deadline "elective sprint" aimed at boosting appointments and operations, the NHS remains off-track. Key findings from the analysis include:
- Non-urgent care: Only 61.5% of patients received treatment within 18 weeks in January, far below the 92% target set for 2029 and the interim goal of 65% for 2025-26. Just 52 out of 150 trusts met the 65% benchmark.
- A&E waits: In February, 74.1% of A&E patients were treated within four hours, missing the 78% year-end target.
- Ambulance response: Category two ambulance response times, critical for strokes and heart attacks, averaged 30 minutes and 25 seconds in January, slightly above the 30-minute target.
Tim Gardner, assistant director of policy at the Health Foundation, commented, "Recent progress is encouraging, but meeting the government's pledges to reduce waiting times will require a herculean effort. It's touch and go whether the current 'sprint' will be enough to meet this month's interim target."
Broader Challenges and Government Response
The analysis also highlights a growing diagnostic waiting list, which has reached 1.8 million people—the highest since the COVID-19 pandemic. Delays in tests like X-rays and scans are exacerbating the backlog, with projections suggesting the list could hit 2 million by September next year. Marlen Suller, managing director for clinical diagnostics at Magentus, noted, "Diagnostic waiting lists are still growing, which can mean worrying waits for many patients. Delays at this stage can hold everything else up."
In response, an NHS spokesperson pointed to recent improvements, stating, "Analysing old data misses the fact that the NHS is currently working flat out to achieve its ambitions and has improved dramatically since the end of January. We've delivered record numbers of appointments, tests and scans in 2025 and reduced the waiting list to its lowest level in three years."
However, Stuart Hoddinott, an associate director at the Institute for Government, cautioned, "Overall there has been some progress on waiting times since Labour took office in July 2024. But it was from an incredibly low base and was already trending upwards. Crucially, additional funding and staffing are not translating into rapid improvements in performance."
This situation poses a significant challenge for Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his administration, who have committed to "get the NHS back on its feet" amid public demand for faster care. With waiting times still lagging behind targets, the government's ability to deliver on its health promises remains under intense scrutiny.
