Waiting times getting worse at some hospitals - see how your NHS trust compares

A quarter of NHS trusts in England have seen hospital waiting times worsen over the last 12 months.

NHS waits were getting longer for over a decade under the Tories but now progress is finally being made. However 31 hospital trusts have gone backwards.

Before coming to power in 2024 Labour made getting people treated for planned care such as knee and hip operations within 18 weeks a key manifesto commitment. NHS data, initially released to the BBC under Freedom of Information laws, shows another 17 hospital trusts have made little progress against the 18 week target out of 129 to provide information.

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The target requires 92% of patients to be seen in 18 weeks and an interim national target of 65% has been set for March 2026.

The government published its plan to tackle the backlog a year ago when 59.2% of patients in England were waiting less than this four-and-a-half month period. That has since increased slightly to 61.8%. The overall appointment backlog has also fallen to 7.31 million the lowest level since February 2023.

But the data shows some hospitals are being left behind and their lack of progress is hampering Labour’s efforts to turn the NHS around.

The largest fall was at East Cheshire NHS Trust where only around half of patients are being seen within four-and-a-half months. The data showed 51% had been on the waiting list for under 18 weeks in November 2025, down from 61% a year earlier.

At Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust the proportion fell from 75% to 66% over the course of the year. The trust said it had experienced staff shortages and an increase in cancer referrals which had to be prioritised ahead of planned treatments.

Strike action by resident doctors was also blamed for the longer waits at some trusts. In Whittington Health NHS Trust it fell from 65% to 60% while at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust it went from 57% to 53%.

At Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust it fell from 65% to 61%. The trust pointed to the introduction of a new electronic patient record system which it said had disrupted services

However some hospitals have seen big improvements with Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust improving by 17%. Five NHS trusts recorded improvements of between 9% and 10%.

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Latest monthly NHS data for England showed overall the elective waiting list saw its biggest fall in 15 years outside of the pandemic.

The backlog of operations and appointments fell by 86,000 and the waiting list was down to 7.31 million at the end of November.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “For too long, patients were promised change in the NHS but saw little of it. This government is turning promises into change people can actually feel.

“Waiting lists are down by more than 312,000 and more patients are being treated within 18 weeks. November saw the second biggest monthly drop in waiting lists in 15 years. That means faster care, less anxiety for families and people back on their feet and back to work.

“This is the result of record investment and modernisation, alongside the hard work of NHS staff.”

The waiting list fell by 86,517 in November, which is the second highest drop outside of the first three months of the Covid-19 pandemic when there was a significant drop in the number of people referred onto the waiting list as people avoided presenting to the NHS.

The Government has increased NHS evening and weekend appointments, expanded tests at community venues closer to home, and set up specialist surgical hubs to get through more operations. AI notetaking tools have also been credited with saving doctors’ time.