The NHS in London has today published its annual performance data, revealing the capital’s health service has ended 2025/26 in its strongest position in years – with elective waiting times, emergency care and cancer diagnosis all showing significant improvement.

The figures show that 66.9% of Londoners are now waiting less than 18 weeks for elective treatment, up from 60.8% at the start of the year – a level not seen since June 2022.

In urgent and emergency care, London’s A&E four-hour performance reached 79.8% in March – its highest since August 2021 – after the capital recorded 4.9 million A&E attendances. Category 2 ambulance response times also hit their fastest since May 2021, with the average response reaching 25 minutes and 51 seconds in March.

Dr Chris Streather, Regional Medical Director for the NHS in London, said: “This data reflects the dedication and hard work of thousands of NHS staff across London – fewer people are facing the longest waits, cancer diagnoses are faster and our emergency services are performing at their best in years. We are proud of what has been achieved this year.

“We also know that for some patients, waits are still too long, and that demand on our services continues to grow. We are committed to building on this progress and to making sure the improvements we have seen this year are felt consistently by every Londoner who needs care.”

Whittington Health NHS Trust took more than 5,500 patients off the waiting list in February and March 2026 alone, thanks to a series of intensive ‘sprints’. Additional clinics held during evenings and weekends delivered extra outpatient appointments and neurodevelopmental assessments for children and young people across the trust.

The number of patients waiting more than 52 weeks for planned care plummeted from over 650 in December to 76, and the Trust has ended the financial year with 71.4% of patients seen within 18 weeks, exceeding the national target.

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust improved 18-week performance from 62.7% to 76.6% over the year, through a comprehensive, trust-wide programme focused on delivering sustainable improvements in patient care. 

Rather than relying on short-term measures, the Trust took a data-led, clinically informed approach – reviewing pathways, strengthening referral processes, and using detailed modelling to understand where changes would have the greatest impact.

Dr Emma Rowland, Chief Operating Officer at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This programme has been about improving care for patients in a way that is sustainable for our teams. By combining detailed data analysis with strong clinical engagement, we’ve been able to make practical changes to how we manage pathways and waiting lists.

“We’ve focused on building a consistent, trust-wide approach that supports timely access to care while maintaining safety, equity and staff wellbeing. That foundation will be critical as we continue to improve elective services in the years ahead.”

Improved diagnostic and cancer performance

More Londoners are being diagnosed and treated for cancer more quickly this year. The number of patients seen within the faster diagnosis target has improved over the year, helped by shorter waits for tests, more direct referral routes and better joined-up working between GPs and hospitals.

Over nine in ten patients (95.2%) received their first cancer treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat, up from 94.6% at the start of the year. Over seven in ten patients (78.0%) began treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral, in line with the position at the start of the year.

NHS England London recognises that waiting times differ depending on the type of cancer, and that there is more work to do to ensure all patients are treated as quickly as possible.

GPs delivered over 56 million appointments over the year, 55% of patients were seen either on the same or next day. Neighbourhood healthcare helped to reach the needs of Londoners on their doorstep, whether in Community Diagnostic Hubs, Surgical Hubs or Neighbourhood Health Centres.

Find the full NHS England performance data here.