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'We're right on track,' says Streeting as key hospital waiting time target hit
The Government and NHS England hit an interim elective care target in March, with 65.3% of patients starting hospital treatment within 18 weeks, up from below 59% when Labour came to power.
Since January, the Government funnelled £120 million in sprint funding into NHS trusts to meet the March deadline, driving the overall waiting list down to 7.1 million—the lowest in three and a half years.
People waiting more than a year for treatment fell to 94,406 from 122,668, the lowest since July 2020, while the Government reduced waits exceeding 18 weeks by 460,000 since taking office.
NHS Chief Executive Sir Jim Mackey called it a "huge moment," while King's Fund chief executive Sarah Woolnough praised the achievement as recognition of staff efforts amid industrial action and reorganisation.
Reaching the Government's eventual 92% target by 2029 could prove a challenge, requiring an extra 1.9 million waits to be treated within 18 weeks if waiting lists remain unchanged.