NHS waiting list climbs as record summer elective activity masks looming winter pressure

NHS England reported that the treatment backlog grew to 7.37 million pending procedures affecting 6.24 million patients by the end of August, up from 7.33 million and 6.21 million the previous month, and the highest levels since October 2025. Summer activity set a new record, with 4,738,824 planned treatments, procedures and appointments delivered across June to August. However, NHS national medical director Professor Frankie Swords highlighted emerging winter pressures, noting unusually high A&E attendances, ambulance callouts and a rise in patients with flu, RSV and Covid.

A&E performance slipped slightly, with four-hour target compliance falling to 74.4 % in September and corridor-care cases increasing to 50,582. The King’s Fund chief executive Sarah Woolnough warned that the government must clarify its expectations for the NHS, while the Health Foundation’s Tim Gardner called for a realistic reassessment of waiting-list targets ahead of winter.