The NHS waiting list has fallen to its lowest level in two years, the first April drop since 2008*, as health chiefs hailed staff for continuing to tackle demand and drive progress for patients.

New data published today shows that the NHS waiting list has fallen to 7.39 million, down from 7.42 million – the first time the waiting list has seen a reduction in April in 17 years (excluding the first year of the pandemic).

England’s top doctor praised staff delivering record numbers of tests and checks and as they faced the second busiest month ever in A&E, with more planned treatments being delivered to help ‘turn the tide’ for patients as the NHS drives reform across elective and emergency care.

Health service staff made further strides to clear the backlog with 1.45 million treatments delivered in April – equivalent to around 72,500 planned treatments each day and 3% more than last year.

Patients are being seen faster thanks to an NHS productivity drive which has seen hospitals working differently, with more evening and weekend appointments, and GPs and community services delivering more appointments.

The average time patients had been waiting for planned treatment fell to the lowest level since July 2022 – 13.3 weeks – despite services facing greater demand, with 2.3% more patients being added to the waiting list per working day on last year.

Further investment announced by the Chancellor today could also deliver a further 4 million diagnostic tests, scans and procedures over the next five years.

Meghana Pandit, NHS England’s Co-National Medical Director (Secondary Care), said: “Despite another huge wave of demand across NHS services, today’s data suggests that reform and the hard work of our staff is helping to buck the seasonal trend, with an atypical April drop, seeing waiting lists hit a two-year low.

“Thanks to NHS staff who have delivered another record month of tests and checks while facing the second busiest month ever recorded in A&E, continuing to make progress in treating patients faster as we work to drive reform across elective and emergency care.

“We are determined to continue on this trajectory for patients as staff work to turn the tide for patients waiting for care, and while huge pressure on services remains, we are starting to see a real difference across our services – this is just the start of the work we’re doing to reform care and deliver improvements for patients.”

This progress for patients follows measures in the ambitious Elective care reform plan, backed by a record £26 billion investment, focusing on improving patience experience and convenience, empowering people with choice and control over when and where they will be treated.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “We are putting the NHS on the road to recovery after years of soaring waiting times, by providing record investment and fundamental NHS reform.

“Thanks to our interventions and the hard work of NHS staff, the overall waiting list has now fallen in April for the first time in 17 years – dropping by almost a quarter of a million since we took office.

“This is just the start. We’ve delivered millions of extra appointments since July, we are pushing on with our mission to get the NHS working for patients once again as we deliver our Plan for Change.”

It was the busiest April ever for the number of tests and checks carried out for patients, with community diagnostic hubs helping services to deliver 2.4 million checks (2,399,611) – almost half a million more diagnostic tests compared to the same month in 2019, up a quarter (1,917,308).

The 28-day cancer target continued to be met in April, meaning more than 200,000 people were diagnosed or given the all clear for cancer within 28 days (209,566) – 11,500 more than the previous year (197,882).

Separate monthly data out today also shows that emergency services continued to face record pressure last month, as the second busiest month ever recorded in A&E in May – a total of 2,395,886 attendances, 77,287 per day – a 10% increase on pre-pandemic levels (2,172,006 in May 2019).

Despite high levels of demand, waits of 4 and 12 hours in A&E and all categories of ambulance response times were improved on the year before, as hardworking staff continue to bring down waits for urgent and emergency care.

There was an average of 58,270 patients per day admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours in A&E last month – a total of 1.8 million (1,806,359) – the highest number in six years (since 1,797,984 in April 2019) and three quarters of all patients (75.4%), up from both the previous month (74.8%) and the previous year (74%).

The new Urgent and emergency care plan, launched last week, sets out how the NHS will work with the government to “resuscitate” emergency care, moving patient care into more appropriate care settings as part of the shift from hospital to community, while tackling ambulance handover delays and corridor care.