Waiting list falls as NHS staff treated record numbers last year

NHS staff delivered a record 18 million treatments in 2024, as the waiting list fell in December for the fourth month in a row.

The overall backlog has dropped again from 7.48 million to 7.46 million, while the estimated number of patients waiting is down from 6.28 million to 6.24 million.

Monthly figures show that hardworking NHS staff delivered a record 18 million treatments in 2024, hundreds of thousands (4%) more than in 2023 (17.35 million) and 5% more than in 2019 (17.1 million).

In December alone, the NHS carried out 1.33 million treatments, up 6.5% on 1.25 million the year before.

The proportion waiting less than 18 weeks was 58.9%, up from 56.6% in December 2023.

As part of the ambitious elective care reform plan, the NHS is aiming to return to the constitutional standard of treating 92% of patients within 18 weeks by March 2029, and to get to 65% by March 2026.

The number waiting more than a year for treatment fell to 200,375 making up just 2.7% of the overall waiting list – the lowest proportion since August 2020.

Thanks to the continued expansion of community diagnostic centres, the NHS also delivered more than 28.3 million tests and checks in 2024 – a record year – up a fifth on 23.6 million in 2019 and up 7% on 26.5 million in 2023. NHS staff delivered 2.24 million checks in December alone, up 21% on 1.85 million in 2019.

The NHS met the faster diagnosis standard for cancer again in December with 78.1% of people receiving the all clear or a definitive diagnosis. There were 20,000 more people diagnosed or given the all clear within the standard compared to the same month last year (190,571 in December 2024, compared to 170,155 in December 2023).

In 2024 there were 3,126,797 urgent referrals for suspected cancer, a 4% increase compared to 2,995,245 in 2023 and more than double the number a decade ago with 1,500,336 urgent GP referrals in 2014.

There has been progress on the 62-day target with more than 7 in 10 people being treated within the standard for the first time – the highest on record since standards changed in October 2023.

Despite huge pressures on the NHS in January with soaring levels of winter illnesses like flu and norovirus, high bed occupancy and difficulties discharging patients, 73% of patients were seen within 4 hours in A&E. This was both an improvement on the month before (71.1%) and the same month last year (70.4%).

Ambulance response times across all categories were also improved on both last month and last January.

Separate data for last week (week ending 9 February) showed continued pressure from winter illnesses including an average 948 patients a day in hospital with norovirus – more than two thirds higher than the same week last year (565 week ending 11 February 2024).

There was also an average of 50,954 staff absences each day last week, up 5% on last year (48,482), and adult bed occupancy remained high at an average of 96%.

An average of 14,087 beds were taken up by patients who were medically fit for discharge each day last week, the highest so far this winter.

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Urgent and Emergency Care, said: “These latest figures show how innovations and the hard work of staff is now delivering consistent progress in bringing down the backlog, with the waiting list falling for the fourth month in a row and a record 18 million treatments delivered last year – on top of huge increases in the number of tests and checks, including for cancer, giving people clarity with that all-important diagnosis or all clear.

“This post pandemic period is potentially the hardest the NHS has ever managed and that has certainly been true this winter with soaring levels of viruses, high bed occupancy and difficulties discharging patients – with last week seeing 14,000 beds taken up each day by patients who were medically fit for discharge.

“Despite that storm of pressure in January, A&E and ambulance waiting times were improved on both the month and year before, and this year we will continue work to improve patient flow across hospitals throughout the year, to ensure that we’re in a better position for next winter.

“The public can play their part by continuing to only use 999 in a life-threatening emergency and 111 for other conditions, while ahead of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will continue delivering the shifts from hospital to community care and from analogue to digital, to continue to improve patient experience and bring down waiting times”.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “Through the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, the government has already cut NHS waiting lists by almost 160,000 since July, through a combination of investment and reform.

“As we work to end the misery of people left stranded on NHS waiting lists, we will also continue to address the issues facing our A&E departments.

“Annual winter pressures should not automatically lead to an annual winter crises and we will soon publish our plan to improve urgent and emergency care services, so the NHS can be there for everyone when they need it, once again”.

The monthly performance statistics are available on the NHS England website.
The weekly winter situation reports are available on the NHS England website.