An Analysis of Worsening Hospital Waiting Times in England

By Nick Triggle, Health Correspondent and Daniel Wainwright, BBC Verify

Nearly a quarter of hospitals in England have seen waiting times worsen since the government introduced its plan to tackle the backlog a year ago, according to BBC analysis. The goal of hitting the 18-week waiting target—especially for treatments such as knee and hip operations—was a key pledge in Labour's manifesto for the health service. Last January, the government laid out strategies to get hospitals back on track.

While national progress is evident, 31 hospital trusts have found themselves lagging behind, while another 17 have shown minimal advancement out of 129 services reviewed. Hospitals grappling with worsening conditions cite various challenges, including staffing shortages, doctor strikes, and IT system problems.

Personal Impact: 'Living in Pain'

Mary Waterhouse, aged 72 from Blackpool, is among many patients enduring delays at a hospital facing increased waiting times. Since 2022, she has been treated by Blackpool Hospitals NHS Trust for arthritis. Initially given steroid injections, she was placed back on the waiting list in late 2024 due to her declining health. After waiting eight months for an assessment, both hip and knee replacements were deemed necessary.

Mary ultimately declined the treatment. "My arthritis was too advanced—and it was too many operations. I've chosen to live with the pain. The long waits at each step felt like a never-ending queue," she said. As a result, she now relies on a mobility scooter, only able to walk short distances with crutches. "Had I received quicker treatment, things may have been better," she admits. Deborah Alsina from Arthritis UK stated Mary's experience is typical for thousands facing similar challenges, emphasizing the transformative nature of timely treatment.

While Blackpool was unable to discuss Mary's case specifically, its chief executive, Maggie Oldham, acknowledged the extensive waits. "We're aware we're not where we should be, but we're working diligently with partners to address the pressing issues," she stated.

Government's Commitment

The government prioritizes improving waiting times for the NHS, aiming to reinstate the 18-week target in England by March 2029—a benchmark unmet since 2015. The target is for 92% of patients to be seen within 18 weeks, with an interim national goal of 65% set for March 2026. At the plan's introduction last January, 59.2% of patients were seen within this timeframe, which has since risen to 61.8%. The waiting list size has dropped to 7.31 million, marking its lowest since February 2023. However, local performance discrepancies remain, despite allocated funding designed to empower NHS trusts with their targets for enhancement.

The BBC successfully compared current performance to 12 months prior for all hospital trusts, except Sheffield and Barking, Havering and Redbridge, due to unavailable data. Although the data for this study was published in January, it reflects the status at the end of November 2024 and 2025.

The most significant decline, noted in East Cheshire, showed a drop from 61.2% to 51.2% of patients being seen within 18 weeks. Barnsley experienced a nine percentage point reduction, while Whittington Health and Epsom and St Helier NHS trusts reported declines of approximately five percentage points. The trusts attributed these setbacks to multiple factors such as the disruption caused by Epsom and St Helier's new electronic patient record systems and Barnsley's staff shortages and rising caseloads.