Overview
- An NHS England evaluation found FF20 trusts reduced waiting lists by 4.2% from October 2024 to October 2025 compared with a 1.4% fall nationally, with working‑age waits dropping more than five times faster.
- Ministers say lessons from FF20 will be expanded across the NHS to improve patient flow, supporting people’s return to work.
- Newcastle Hospitals cut its elective list by more than 13,000, from 102,762 in September 2024 to 89,175 in October 2025, with 1,009 patients waiting over a year.
- Officials cite productivity growth of 2.7% between April 2024 and March 2025 and a further 2.5% in the first five months of the next year, aided by high‑flow theatre lists, straight‑to‑test pathways, extended clinics and AI tools.
- New monthly data show the overall waiting list fell by more than 86,000 in November to 7.31 million, while since July 2024 the list is down by over 225,000 despite heavy referrals.