Overview

• The NHS in England met its 28-day cancer diagnostic target for the first time, with 80.2% of urgent referrals processed in February, up from 73.4% in January.
• Routine treatment waiting lists have declined for six consecutive months, with 7.40 million treatments pending at the end of February, the lowest since September 2023.
• Only 67.0% of patients received definitive cancer treatment within 62 days, falling short of the 75% target set for March 2026.
• Emergency care performance improved slightly, with 75% of A&E patients seen within four hours, though long delays for admission and corridor care remain critical issues.
• Ambulance response times for life-threatening incidents improved to 7 minutes 52 seconds in February, the fastest since May 2021, but still above the target of seven minutes.