A&E waiting times have fallen to a five-year low, despite the
NHS seeing record numbers of patients in March as the health
service experienced a ‘prolonged winter'.
There were a record breaking 2.43m total A&E attendances in
March – 16k more than the previous record high in May 2024.
Despite the bumper demand, almost four in five patients arriving
in A&E were seen within four hours (77.1%) – the best
performance since July 2021.
The record-breaking month was driven in part following reports of
a meningitis outbreak mid-March, which saw a marked increase in
demand.
It comes as England's top doctor described the NHS as being
‘within touching distance' of its elective recovery target.
The NHS continues to progress towards the target of 65% of
patients treated within 18 weeks by the end of March — the first
time this level will have been reached since November 2021. At
the end of February, 62.6% of patients were waiting under 18
weeks, up 1.1 percentage points on January 2026.
The total waiting list decreased to 7.22 million in February
2026, with a decrease of 31,006 compared to January 2026 and more
than 400,000 compared to July 2024.
NHS data also shows the NHS is diagnosing or giving cancer
patients the all clear within four weeks more quickly than at any
point on record.
More than four in five patients (80.5%) with suspected cancer
received a diagnosis, or had cancer ruled out, within 28
days in February - the highest proportion in NHS history. In
total, 208,293 patients received a result in the month.
Ambulance response times for the most serious incidents, such as
suspected heart attacks and strokes, were also the fastest in
almost five years, averaging 26:18 in March — the best
performance since May 2021.
The NHS also carried out a record 29,863,709 tests and checks
between March 2025 and February 2026, over one million more than
the previous year.
This follows an announcement of 36 new and
expanded Community Diagnostic Centres, backed by a £237
million government investment, to boost NHS diagnostic capacity
and deliver more care in local communities.
NHS Deputy CEO and Medical Director Professor Meghana
Pandit said:
“I am incredibly proud of the work that NHS staff have put in
over the past year to get us within touching distance of our
elective recovery target.
“This progress has been achieved despite the busiest winter on
record and disruption caused by industrial action. This shows the
determination of staff to get back to delivering on their
commitments no matter how challenging the circumstances have
been.
“Pressure on services remain very high, with more people
attending A&E in March than ever before, following prolonged
winter demand.
“Despite this, NHS staff saw patients faster than at any point in
recent years — as the NHS turnaround continues.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, said:
“We inherited an NHS going through the worst crisis in its
history after years of neglect. Today's figures show just how far
we've come.
“Through the government's investment and modernisation - and
thanks to the extraordinary effort of NHS staff across the
country - waiting lists are down by over 400,000. We're
diagnosing or giving the all clear to a record number of cancer
patients on time- something I am personally invested in as a
kidney cancer survivor. Ambulance and A&E waits are both at
their best for almost half a decade.
“Lots done and so much more to do. Despite record pressures and
strikes, we have come within a cat's whisker of the ambitious
targets we set ourselves. But it's not enough. There are still
too many patients waiting far too long. The NHS is on the road to
recovery, and my foot is pressing down hard on the accelerator.”
