The number of people waiting to start NHS treatment in England has fallen to 7.29 million, according to official data.
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (RHQ) did not submit any data for December 2025.
The number of referral to treatment (RTT) pathways where a patient was waiting to start treatment at the end of December 2025 is 7,290,880 – down from 7,308,928 in November.
Some patients are on multiple pathways. The number of unique patients is estimated to have stayed at 6.2 million.
Among the 7.29 million, in 140,508 cases the patient was waiting more than 52 weeks, in 7,344 cases they were waiting more than 65 weeks, in 1,514 cases they were waiting more than 78 weeks, and in 223 cases they were waiting more than 104 weeks.
In 61.5% of cases the patient had been waiting up to 18 weeks, thus not meeting the 92% standard.
During December 2025, 1,643,445 new RTT pathways were started and 274,668 pathways were completed as a result of admitted treatment and 1,152,182 were completed in other ways (non-admitted).
For those pathways where the patient was waiting to start treatment at the end of December 2025, the median waiting time was 13.4 weeks. The 92nd percentile waiting time was 40.8 weeks.
Moving in the right direction
Karen Woodley, head of healthcare distribution at The Exeter, said it was encouraging to see NHS waiting times starting to move in the right direction this winter.
“Any reduction in delays matters for patients who have been waiting for tests, treatment or specialist care, and will be welcomed by those beginning to see progress in their care journey,” Woodley said.
“At the same time, the wider picture suggests there is more that could be done.
“PHIN’s latest figures show admissions funded through private medical insurance dipped by around 2% year on year, despite overall private healthcare activity remaining high. That feels like a missed opportunity.
“Helping people access earlier support, preventative care and complementary routes into private treatment can improve patient experience and play a positive role in easing pressure on NHS services, while supporting the health system as a whole.”
Sarah Taylor, director of corporate proposition, at Healix Health, said any fall in NHS waiting times over winter is genuinely positive news.
“Even so, waiting lists remain high, and our own data shows how heavily hospital-based care is still relied on, with almost 70% of workplace healthcare usage linked to inpatient, day-case and outpatient treatment,” Taylor said.
“Against that backdrop of sustained pressure on services, the ambitions set out in the NHS cancer plan around earlier diagnosis really matter.
“Employer-funded healthcare trusts can help build on that progress, working alongside NHS care to support earlier access to treatment and faster returns to health.”
Real achievement
Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King’s Fund, described getting the waiting list down to its lowest level in nearly three years as a “real achievement”.
“That was a period when the NHS was facing acute winter pressures including high flu rates, and industrial action,” Woolnough said. “It is a credit to the preparation by NHS leaders and the tireless work of staff on the ground who, even whilst stretched to the limit, have been able to keep the system on its feet and make inroads that will have improved patient outcomes.”
Questions remain
Though Woolnough added questions remain as to what extent validation is being used to drive the fall in numbers rather than the number of patients treated.
“The record increase in activity, 400,000 additional treatments and operations last year compared with 2024, equates to a 2% rise in activity,” she continued.
“This matches with the 2% fall in the waiting list over the period, however the increases in treatment have not been overtaken with an increase in referrals so in theory the waiting list should still be growing.
“Instead, there has been a sharp new focus on waiting list validation, with it being financially incentivised by the government through things like ‘validation sprints’ which has helped speed up the fall in overall waiting list numbers. The period between October and November last year demonstrates this clearly. There was a record fall in the waiting list of 87,000 people yet there was no significant rise in outpatient or admitted activity across the same period.
“Validation itself can be a useful tool. For some, taking someone off the waiting list could be the right decision, their condition may have resolved for example, but there are concerns about how this process is working.
“It is well known that NHS admin is often not up to scratch and that this risks people being taken off lists by mistake or because they don’t respond to communications which they may not have received, with 20% saying that they received an invitation to an appointment after the date of the appointment.”
Major increase in activity required
Woolnough maintained the only sustainable way to get the waiting list down, especially to the degree the government has committed, is through major and sustained increases in activity.
“Ministers should implement greater transparency to build trust in the waiting list validation processes and so that patients have a clear understanding of the performance of the NHS,” she concluded.
Long delays for treatment
But Brett Hill, head of health and protection at Broadstone, pointed out that patients continue to face long delays for treatment, and NHS services are struggling to keep up with demand.
“The threat of further industrial action by doctors risks adding even more pressure to an already stretched system,” Hill said.
“The knock-on effects are being felt across workplaces. Last month, the latest NHS health survey pointed to almost half (46%) of adults had at least one longstanding illness or condition in 2024, up from 35% in 2012.
“Employers are stepping in to protect their staff and maintain productivity. Private medical insurance, health cash plans, and preventative health measures are helping employees access treatment sooner, avoid conditions worsening, and return to full health more quickly.”