NHS tracker - are hospital waiting times improving near you?

## Summary
NHS tracker - are hospital waiting times improving near you? 57 minutes ago Share Save Data Journalism team BBC Verify Share Save Getty Images Every NHS hospital in England has been told to improve patient waiting times for planned treatment as the government has made hitting the 18-week target one of its key priorities for this parliament. About the data BBC Verify's analysis included NHS trusts in England that had at least 5,000 people waiting for elective treatment in November 2024. Scotland aims for 90% of patients to be treated within 18 weeks of referral, but Public Health Scotland has stopped publishing data on this target. The tracker uses data on the percentage of patients in Scotland waiting less than 12 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment.

## Article Content
NHS tracker - are hospital waiting times improving near you?
57 minutes ago
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Data Journalism team
BBC Verify
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Every NHS hospital in England has been told to improve patient waiting times for planned treatment as the government has made hitting the 18-week target one of its key priorities for this parliament.
By the end of March 2026, the
government wants to see
at least 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks.
To get there, every NHS trust has to either get to 60% or improve on its November 2024 figures by five percentage points - whichever is greater.
That is just a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal of achieving 92% by July 2029.
Use your postcode to find out whether waiting lists are getting better near you.
About the data
BBC Verify's analysis included NHS trusts in England that had at least 5,000 people waiting for elective treatment in November 2024.
Targets in other nations are different and the interim targets for March set by the UK government do not apply.
In Wales the target is for 95% of patients to wait less than 26 weeks.
In Northern Ireland, 55% of patients should wait no longer than 13 weeks for day case or inpatient treatment.
Scotland aims for 90% of patients to be treated within 18 weeks of referral, but Public Health Scotland has stopped publishing data on this target.
The tracker uses data on the percentage of patients in Scotland waiting less than 12 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment.
Interactive tool produced by Alli Shultes, Rebecca French, Daniel Wainwright, Nick Triggle, Ollie Lux Rigby, Chris Kay, Adam Allen, Avi Holden and Rebecca Wedge-Roberts
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- In Northern Ireland, 55% of patients should wait no longer than 13 weeks for day case or inpatient treatment.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers nhs, waiting, hospital topics. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 323.