Key Summary
- The highest-ever number of ambulance incidents in December (846,263), taking it to a record 9.31 million.
- Around 73 patients were seen within the 4-hour A&E target – 50,000 higher than a year earlier.
- The launching of the Elective Reform Plan nearly a year ago has led to the creation of more evening and weekend clinics.
The NHS saw the second biggest drop in the waiting list for 15 years in November, while 2025 was its busiest year.
The waiting list fell by more than 86,000 in November to 7.31 million, while the staff faced record demand throughout the year.
The NHS carried out 27.8 million A&E attendances in 2025 - up by over 367,000 on 2024, with 2.33 million attendances in December alone.
But the NHS staff ensured that 73.8 percent of patients were seen within the 4-hour A&E target – 50,000 higher than a year earlier.
The year also witnessed the highest-ever number of ambulance incidents in December (846,263), taking it to a record 9.31 million.
The launching of the Elective Reform Plan nearly a year ago has led to the creation of more evening and weekend clinics, expanded community diagnostic centres and surgical hubs.
The crack teams of experts being sent to 20 hospital trusts across England with the highest levels of economic inactivity, and cutting unnecessary appointments by sending patients “straight to test” rather than multiple clinic visits, have helped lessen the waiting list.
As for cancer care, 76.5 percent of people got the all-clear or a cancer diagnosis within 4 weeks of an urgent referral.
NHS national medical director Professor Meghana Pandit said, “Thanks to the elective reform plan, thousands more patients got a faster diagnosis and received quicker treatment or the all-clear over the last 12 months.
She urged the patients to use 999 and A&E only during life-threatening emergencies, and use NHS 111 and 111 online, local GP and pharmacy services in the usual way.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said, “We’re delivering more evening and weekend appointments, tests closer to home, surgical hubs cutting backlogs, and smarter use of technology.
“Winter pressures remain high and there’s far more to do. We’ll keep backing NHS staff to make sure patients get the care they need, when they need it.”
NHS confederation acute and community care director Rory Deighton said, “NHS leaders and their teams have been working incredibly hard to tackle the care backlog and reduce waits, so it is very welcome to see the progress made so far. That progress matters to patients, particularly those who have waited the longest for treatment.
