NHS tracker - are hospital waiting times improving near you?

What’s Happening

Real talk: Use our interactive tracker to see if treatment waits are getting better at your local hospital.

NHS tracker - are hospital waiting times improving near you? 14 hours ago Save Data Journalism team BBC Verify Save Every NHS hospital in England has been told to improve patient waiting times for planned treatment as the government has made hitting the 18-week target one of its key priorities for this parliament. (plot twist fr)

Of March 2026, the government wants to see at least 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks.

The Details

To get there, every NHS trust has to either get to 60% or improve on its November 2024 figures points - whichever is greater. That is just a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal of achieving 92% by July 2029.

Use your postcode to find out whether waiting lists are getting better near you. About the data BBC Verifys analysis included NHS trusts in England that had at least 5,000 people waiting for elective treatment in November 2024.

Why This Matters

Targets in other nations are different and the interim targets for March set government do not apply. In Wales the target is for 95% of patients to wait less than 26 weeks. In Northern Ireland, 55% of patients should wait no longer than 13 weeks for day case or inpatient treatment.

Health experts are weighing in on what this means for people.

Key Takeaways

• Scotland aims for 90% of patients to be treated within 18 weeks of referral, but Public Health Scotland has stopped publishing data on this target.
• The tracker uses data on the percentage of patients in Scotland waiting less than 12 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment.

The Bottom Line

The tracker uses data on the percentage of patients in Scotland waiting less than 12 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment. Interactive tool produced , Rebecca French, Daniel Wainwright, Nick Triggle, Ollie Lux Rigby, Chris Kay, Adam Allen, Avi Holden and Rebecca Wedge-Roberts What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?

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