NHS Reports Record A&E Delays and Progress in Reducing Backlogs

New NHS data highlights record 12-hour A&E waits, improvements in waiting lists, and ongoing pressures from delayed discharges and winter illnesses.

A record 61,529 patients in England waited over 12 hours in A&E in January before being admitted, surpassing previous highs in December 2022 and December 2024.
The overall waiting list for routine hospital treatments decreased for the fourth consecutive month, with 7.46 million treatments pending in December, the lowest since April 2023.
Delayed discharges continue to strain the system, with an average of 14,087 hospital beds occupied daily by patients medically fit for discharge, the highest this winter.
Cancer care metrics showed slight improvements, with 71.3% of patients starting treatment within 62 days of urgent referral in December, though over 74,000 patients faced delays in 2024.
Norovirus and flu are adding to hospital pressures, with near-record norovirus cases and flu-related hospitalizations declining but remaining significant compared to previous years.