"We've got to pick up the pace..."
The NHS waiting list in England has fallen to its lowest level in nearly three years, offering cautious optimism for millions awaiting treatment.
At the end of December 2025, 7.29 million patients were waiting for procedures such as knee and hip operations.
This marks the lowest figure recorded since February 2023, signalling steady progress in tackling the pandemic backlog.
However, the latest monthly data from NHS England paints a more complicated picture behind the headline improvement.
While routine treatment lists have reduced, pressure on emergency departments remains severe across the country.
A record 71,500 patients waited more than 12 hours in January 2026 for a hospital bed after being assessed in A&E.
It is the highest number since trolley waits began being tracked in 2010.
Nearly one in five patients admitted through A&E endured waits of at least 12 hours.
For many British Asians, who statistically face higher rates of diabetes and heart disease, prolonged emergency waits raise serious concerns about patient safety.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged progress but warned significant challenges remain.
He said: “There is much more to do. We’ve got to pick up the pace… but the NHS is on the road to recovery.”
Medical leaders have voiced alarm over conditions in emergency care.
Dr Vicky Price from the Society for Acute Medicine said hospitals were operating beyond safe levels.
She warned that frail and elderly patients with complex needs face the greatest risk of harm when care is delivered in corridors.
“These are people unwell enough to need admission, often older and frail with complex needs, who are at the greatest risk of harm when care is being delivered in corridors and hospitals are operating beyond safe limits,” she said.
Duncan Burton, Chief Nursing Officer for England, described the reduction in waiting lists as a triumph for hardworking NHS staff.
He noted that progress had been made despite strikes by resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors.
Yet performance against the key 18-week treatment target has slipped slightly.
In December, 61.5% of patients were seen within 18 weeks, compared to 61.8% the previous month.
The government’s target is 92%, which ministers have pledged to meet again by 2029.
Rory Deighton of the NHS Confederation welcomed the overall improvement but cautioned against assuming uniform recovery nationwide.
He said the figures mask significant regional variation between hospital trusts.
“The NHS is not one homogenous body, but is made up of hundreds of separate organisations, each with their own distinct financial and operational challenges,” he explained.
He added that tackling care backlogs will prove more difficult in some regions than others.
In January 2026, it was revealed that nearly a quarter of hospital trusts had seen waiting times worsen over the past year.
For patients across England, including many in Britain’s diverse South Asian communities, the figures highlight progress, but also underline the long road still ahead for the NHS.
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