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NHS waiting list rises amid calls for government to be honest about numbers

14 Aug 2025

New NHS figures show the total waiting list for consultant-led hospital treatment in England has started to rise again, with 7,369,169 patient pathways recorded in June 2025. This is an increase of almost 10,000 from May 2025. The latest data also indicate that 61.5.% of patients began treatment within 18 weeks, rising from 60.9% in May 20252.  

QualityWatch analysis published this week shows more patients are being referred for treatment than leaving the waiting list, despite the overall waiting list coming down3. In May this year, for every 100 referrals to planned care, only 86 patient pathways were completed, which should increase the overall waiting list. However, official NHS data for May show the waiting list dropped to its lowest level for more than two years. Quality Watch suggests “unreported removals”, including patient pathways removed as part of validation exercises, could account for the overall reduction in the list. 

Commenting on NHS figures published today and validation exercises, Mr Tim Mitchell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said:

“The small rise in the waiting list for June is likely down to seasonal ebbs and flows, as we start to get data for the summer months. 

“However, as analysis published this week shows, the drop in waiting list numbers we’ve seen prior to this month doesn't necessarily mean more patients are being treated.  The government should be honest that a significant part of recent reductions reflects validation exercises rather than increased surgical activity.  

“While validating waiting lists can speed up waiting times by removing those who no longer need treatment, it must be clinically led, transparent, and mindful of the resources required. 

“Ultimately, only further investment to expand the NHS' capacity will deliver substantial reductions in waiting times.”  

ENDS

Notes to editors: 

  1. NHS England’s latest consultant-led referral-to-treatment waiting times data is available here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2025-26/#June25 
  1. The government has set an interim target of 65% of patients starting treatment within 18 weeks by March 2026.  
  1. QualityWatch has published analysis of the planned care waiting list, including the impact of a validation “sprint” in April on the size of the waiting list. This was a time-limited initiative to identify and remove pathways from the waiting list which no longer require treatment. The full QualityWatch analysis is available here: Why is the planned care waiting list coming down and what does the data really tell us? | Nuffield Trust 
  1. The total waiting list stood at 7,369,169 in June 2025. 
  1. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research, and championing the best outcomes for patients. 
  1. For more information, please contact the press office: telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6047; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056. 


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