'We're right on track,' says Streeting as key target for hospital waiting times hit
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- Government hit the interim NHS target of 65% of patients treated within 18 weeks by March 2026, reaching 65.3%.
- Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary, saying he lost confidence in the Prime Minister and calling the target achievement “right on track”.
- Jim Mackey described the achievement as a “huge moment” for the NHS, noting it came despite repeated doctors’ strikes.
- Hospital trusts: four in ten trusts missed their own 18‑week targets and ten trusts saw performance deteriorate, showing uneven progress.
- Waiting list fell from 7.2 million to 7.1 million, the lowest level in three and a half years.
Why it matters: Patients benefit from faster treatment as 65.3% meet the 18‑week goal, but NHS staff face mounting pressure and funding gaps that could stall the 92% target by 2029.
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