Simon Stevens, NHS England Chief Executive, said: “The NHS has made huge progress over the past decade in slashing long waits, so the median wait for patients having an operation is now under 10 weeks. To lock-in that achievement – and go further in eliminating the longest waits – CCGs are now using earmarked extra funding to commission more elective surgery. As a result they  expect their local hospitals to use the summer and early autumn to ensure they can then meet the performance standards which NHS patients are entitled to.”