The NHS delivered more elective activity in 2025 than any other year in its history, helping cut the waiting list to its lowest level since February 2023.
Staff delivered a historic high of 18.4 million treatments and operations in 2025, up from 18 million in 2024, as the waiting list dropped to 7.29 million.
Today’s data shows there were 1.43 million treatments delivered in December – an increase of 91,775 on last year – despite 5 days of industrial action by resident doctors, thanks to staff maintaining almost 95% of usual activity during strikes.
The percentage of people waiting over 18 weeks for treatment slightly decreased to 61.5%, while the percentage of those waiting over 52 weeks dropped to just 1.9% – the lowest since June 2020 – as the Elective Reform Plan continues to drive NHS services to tackle the longest waits and ensure more people are seen quicker.
The progress comes thanks to the Elective Reform Plan, which has led to an expansion of community diagnostic centres and surgical hubs, creating more evening and weekend clinics, as well as sending patients ‘straight to test’ rather than multiple clinic visits.
While NHS staff used innovative measures across the country including high-intensity theatre (HIT) lists across elective surgery hubs to maximise the number of patients treated in one day or using robotic-assisted surgeries to speed up procedures and increase precision – getting more patients home sooner and recovering faster.
The data also shows demand across emergency services is showing no signs of letting up, with the NHS on track for its busiest winter ever.
A&E staff experienced a record high January of 2,320,266 A&E attendances – 4.6% higher than in January 2025 – while ambulance staff have faced a record number of incidents across December and January.
Despite this, staff continue to manage the ever-increasing demand, with 206,800 more people admitted, transferred or discharged in less than 4 hours in Type 1 A&E departments across winter so far this year when compared to last year (3.4 million in October 2025 to January 2026 vs 3.2 million in October 2024 to January 2025).
4-hour NHS performance has been at 73.5% across winter so far – up from 72.1% last year and less than 70% the year before.
Ambulance response times are quicker than last winter, with both Category 1 and Category 2 response times down on last year (C1 8:08 and C2 35:04 in January 2026 vs C1 8:16 and C2 35:39 in January 2025).
Separate figures also published today show hospitals are continuing to face the impact of seasonal viruses, with an average of 1,119 patients in hospital with flu and 929 with norovirus each day last week.
The government launched the National Cancer Plan last week, committing the NHS to meet all cancer waiting time standards by 2029, with hundreds of thousands more patients treated within 62 days.
Staff carried out 2.37 million tests and checks in December alongside 77.4% of people receiving the all-clear or a cancer diagnosis within 4 weeks of an urgent suspected cancer referral – the highest proportion in 9 months (76.7% in April 2025).
Duncan Burton, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said: “Completing a historic high of elective activity is a triumph for NHS staff who continue to innovate and go above and beyond to treat more patients, faster.
“Thanks to early preparations and careful planning, ambulance waits are shorter and A&E treatment times are faster this winter – even as staff face record demand – while we know there is further to go in improving patient flow and cutting the longest emergency department waits.”
“We saw a great response from the public with many people getting protected against winter viruses this year, which is paying off for patients and keeping more people well and at home.
“With a particularly wet start to the year and cold weather alerts issued for England over the weekend, as ever, it’s really important the public continue to come forward for care in the usual way – by dialling 999 in an emergency and otherwise using 111 online, your local pharmacist or GP”.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting said: “Despite having to deal with flu and industrial action, the NHS has managed to continue cutting waiting lists, thanks to a Herculean effort this winter.
“This government has cut waiting lists by more than 330,000, with hundreds of thousands more people treated within 18 weeks. That’s not happening by chance – it’s because we delivered record levels of care in 2025.
“This progress is driven by unprecedented investment and modernisation of our health service, and above all by the dedication of NHS staff.
“Whether it’s by opening up new community diagnostic centres, rolling out surgical hubs to tackle backlogs, or investing in modern equipment and technology, we are rebuilding our NHS.
“There’s so much more to do, but people can take hope and optimism from the fact that the NHS is finally on the road to recovery.”
Yellow cold health alerts for England have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency for either side of the weekend – with temperatures expected to drop from tomorrow until the start of next week (Friday 13 to Monday 16 February), as temperatures have fallen in recent days to drop below freezing which could lead to increased pressure on hospitals, especially by vulnerable people.
