NHS performance has shown improvements in latest monthly statistics. New data shows that waiting lists for appointments and procedures dropped from 7.43 million in January to 7.40 million in February, continuing to fall after six consecutive months. Despite A&E visitors reaching the second-highest level ever recorded, 75% of patients were processed and discharged within four hours in March.
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‘This data shows some very welcome performance improvements across waiting lists, cancer, and urgent and emergency care, despite continued high demand,’ said Rory Deighton, acute director at the NHS Confederation. ‘The drop in waiting lists for the sixth month in a row is testament to the hard work of NHS leaders and their teams working around the clock to boost productivity. But our members are under no illusions that there is still a long way to go to reduce the waiting list to more manageable levels and hit the 18-week target.’
Despite being over peak winter pressure, the health system is still facing high demand. 94% of hospital beds were found to be occupied, with emergency ambulance services still unable to reach their target of an 18-minute response time. A recent analysis from The King’s Fund and The Nuffield Trust shows that over half of the participants were dissatisfied with the NHS, with A&E satisfaction falling from 31% in 2023 to only 19% in 2024.
‘These statistics show an NHS under pressure all year round, and the public are well aware of it. Analysis published this month by The King’s Fund and The Nuffield Trust shows that satisfaction with the NHS is at an all-time low,’ said Danielle Jefferies, Senior Analyst at The King’s Fund. ‘Reforming social care, preventing ill health and bolstering community services outside hospitals will all be crucial to ‘fixing’ the health and care system and reversing the staggering collapse in public satisfaction with the NHS.’