How long are people waiting for NHS care?
7.1 million hospital treatments are waiting to start in England (July 2026), and 65% have waited under 18 weeks against a standard of 92%. In A&E, 75% of people were seen within four hours in August 2026 (standard 95%).
Treatments in England, July 2026. One person can be waiting for more than one.
Of people waiting. The NHS standard is 92%.
August 2026. The standard is 95%.
Average response, August 2026. The standard is 18 minutes.
The detail
Each page has the figure, the trend, a table and the questions people ask.
How many treatments are waiting, how long people have waited, and by hospital specialty.
See the waiting list →Seen within four hours, and 44,951 patients who waited 12 hours or more to be admitted.
See A&E waits →Average response to the most urgent calls, against the national standards.
See response times →Waiting times for each NHS area (integrated care board), by hospital specialty.
Every NHS area →Compare the waits in your NHS area with England.
Try the tool →The votes on health in Parliament, and which MPs voted against their party.
See the votes →Waits over time
What’s this?
Treatments waiting to start after a referral, such as an operation or hospital appointment. One person can be waiting for more than one treatment.
What it cannot tell you: It counts treatments, not people, and does not show how urgent each case is.
What’s this?
The share of people waiting whose wait so far is under 18 weeks. The NHS constitution sets a standard of 92%.
What it cannot tell you: It does not show why someone has waited, or whether waiting changed their condition.
What’s this?
The share of people at A&E in England who were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arriving. The constitutional standard is 95%.
What it cannot tell you: It does not show how long the longest waits were, or how sick people were.
What’s this?
The average time from a 999 call being classed as an emergency, such as a heart attack or stroke, to an ambulance arriving. The national standard is an average of 18 minutes.
What it cannot tell you: It is an average for England, so it hides differences between areas and the slowest responses.
Which areas have the shortest and longest waits?
The five NHS areas with the highest and lowest share seen within 18 weeks, July 2026. Pick your own area →
| NHS area | Treatments waiting | Under 18 weeks | Middle wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | 53,097 | 74% | 9 weeks |
| North East and North Cumbria | 373,390 | 73% | 10 weeks |
| Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire | 94,419 | 72% | 10 weeks |
| Gloucestershire | 76,514 | 72% | 11 weeks |
| West Yorkshire | 238,444 | 70% | 10 weeks |
| Greater Manchester | 405,139 | 63% | 13 weeks |
| Lincolnshire | 109,453 | 62% | 13 weeks |
| Humber and North Yorkshire | 223,892 | 61% | 13 weeks |
| Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | 132,973 | 61% | 14 weeks |
| Essex | 280,891 | 55% | 15 weeks |
Questions people ask
How long is the NHS waiting list?
7.1 million treatments in England were waiting to start in July 2026. This counts treatments, not people, so the number of people is lower.
What are the NHS waiting standards?
92% of people should start treatment within 18 weeks, 95% should be seen in A&E within four hours, and ambulances should reach heart attack and stroke calls within 18 minutes on average.
Does this cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
No. NHS England publishes these figures for England only; each other nation measures waits its own way.
Sources: NHS England, Referral to Treatment waiting times (July 2026), A&E attendances and emergency admissions, Ambulance Quality Indicators. Updated every night.
See also: Government finances · NHS spending · Every NHS area · Your area