'Ominous signs' of winter pressures as NHS waiting list grows — SkimNews
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- NHS England waiting list rose for a second consecutive month to 7.37 million treatments covering 6.24 million patients at the end of August — the highest level since October 2025
- Professor Frankie Swords, NHS England's national medical director, said staff are seeing "ominous early signs" of winter pressure, with more flu and respiratory virus patients arriving at A&E than usual for September
- A&E performance slipped: only 74.4% of patients were seen within four hours in September (down from 75.0% in August), while 12-hour "corridor care" waits surged to 50,582 patients — up from 44,951 in August, a 13% year-on-year rise
- The NHS Alliance, led by chief executive Sir Ciarán Devane, said the government will not meet its 2029 manifesto pledge to treat 92% of patients within 18 weeks — a target that has now gone unmet for a decade
- Health Foundation analyst Francesca Cavallaro said referrals are rising faster than treatments, meaning the NHS is "running faster just to stand still" as progress on cutting waits stalls over the past year
- Despite mounting demand, NHS England delivered a record 4.7 million planned treatments across June–August — more than any previous summer — while A&Es and ambulance services also handled record September patient volumes
Why it matters: For 6.24 million patients awaiting treatment, waits are lengthening even as the NHS posts record summer activity. The 2029 18-week target — already missed for a decade — now looks increasingly unreachable, with the NHS Alliance and Health Foundation warning referrals are outpacing capacity before winter's peak.
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