The NHS waiting list is 230,000 lower than July last year, even as the health service ‘approaches its limit’ with A&E and ambulances facing record demand ahead of winter.

The overall waiting list for September was 7.39 million (an estimated 6.24 million patients) down 15,845 compared to the previous month and 230,000 fewer than July 2024.

Figures released today also show the NHS is the busiest it has ever been heading into winter, ahead of damaging industrial action and a likely spike in flu cases in the coming weeks.

In response the NHS has upped the ante on its flu vaccination programme, with 14.4 million flu vaccines delivered so far this autumn (14,419,345) – over 160,000 more than at the same point last year (14,253,063 week ending 10 November 2024).

While the NHS has taken a different approach to winter this year – planning earlier than ever before and stress-testing services against 3 stages – preparation, staying ahead and response. While patients are set to get better access to their GPs thanks to a government investment of an extra £1.1 billion in general practice this year – the biggest funding increase in a decade.

A&E attendances and ambulance incidents were both a record for October. A&E attendances were 37,000 higher than October 2024 (2.36 million). This equates to over 1,200 more attendances per day this October. Ambulance incidents also jumped nearly 50,000 compared with October last year (806,441).

Despite the pressure, average ambulance response time for emergencies including strokes and heart attacks was almost 10 minutes faster than in October 2024 (32 minutes 37 seconds).

The health service is bracing for the disruption of 5 days of industrial action by resident doctors, which begins tomorrow (Friday).

The public are advised to attend any planned appointments scheduled during the strikes unless they have been contacted to reschedule.

Primary and urgent and emergency care services will continue to be available for those who need them. The public should use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent but not life-threatening issues during industrial action so that they can be directed to the best place for their needs.

Patients who need emergency medical care should continue to use 999 or come forward to A&E as normal.

Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS National Medical Director, said: “It is fantastic news that the health service managed to get the waiting list down in September, but there’s no doubt NHS staff will be approaching their limits this winter.

“Flu is peaking early and looking like it will be long lasting, while industrial action starting on Friday comes on the back of the busiest October in A&E in NHS history.

“Staff continue to work incredibly hard and, as ever, the public can play their part by getting flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) jabs if eligible.

“People should also use NHS 111 for non-urgent help, and call 999 or visit A&E for life-threatening emergencies – including during upcoming industrial action”.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting said: “Thanks to the investment and modernisation this government has made, waiting lists are falling and patients are being treated sooner.

“We are cutting waste to reinvest billions over the coming years in frontline care – less unnecessary bureaucracy and more services for patients. And at the Budget the chancellor is protecting investment in the NHS, to rebuild after more than a decade of decline.

“The past year is the first time in 15 years that waiting lists have fallen. There’s a long way to go, but the NHS is now on the road to recovery”.

More than 2.5 million (2,518,187) vital checks and tests were performed in September, almost 150,000 (148,008) more than the previous month.

To make NHS performance statistics more accessible and transparent, for the first time this month the NHS is also publishing data on the performance of individual emergency departments across the country, along with data on paediatric emergency performance and mental health delays in emergency departments over 24 hours, which was a commitment made in the Urgent and emergency care plan.