Across the South East people are being seen more quickly for the treatment and surgery they need, as the NHS continues its work to reduce long waits and speed up access to lifechanging care.  

Thanks to the huge efforts of staff across hospitals, surgical hubs and diagnostic centres, the latest data published today shows the NHS is firmly on the road to recovery, with more patients being treated sooner and fewer waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment 

In the past year, the waiting list in the South East has fallen by over 31,000 patients, with more than 12,000 fewer people now waiting over a year to start treatment.  

Over 34,000 more people waited less than 18 weeks for treatment compared with the previous year. 64.5% of people needing care in the South East were waiting less than 18 weeks — up from 59.4% the year before, and just shy of the 65% target set by NHS England. 

This progress in the region comes as nationally the NHS has met its target to see 65% of patients waiting for planned treatment within 18 weeks, seeing its best year on record for elective care. 

Dr Christopher Tibbs, Medical Director for NHS England South East, said:  

“Behind every statistic is a person waiting for care — sometimes for far too long and often in pain — and that’s what drives our teams to improve. We know that too many people still wait too long for treatment, but the progress we’re seeing is the result of huge efforts from staff across the South East.  

“From surgical sprints to embracing new technology, right through to administration staff managing the lists, teams are taking steps every day to cut waits and ensure people are seen more quickly and get the care they need.  

“We know there is much more to do, and we will continue to learn and improve. Our focus is on doing the right thing every day so people can feel confident that when they need care, the NHS will be there for them without a long wait.”  

Across the South East, teams have been working flat out to increase capacity, improve productivity and communicate more clearly with people while they wait.  

Progress is being driven by a combination of extra capacity and smarter ways of working. Trusts are expanding the use of dedicated surgical hubs, running high-volume theatre lists, offering evening and weekend clinics, and expanding community diagnostic centres so patients can be tested and treated sooner.  

Many hospitals are also using robotic and minimally invasive surgery, helping people recover more quickly and freeing up beds for others. In October last year, Frimley Park NHS Trust set a new record of 12 prostate surgeries using a robotic assisted technique called Aquablation therapy. Eleven of the 12 patients were treated as day cases, allowing them to recover at home and freeing up valuable hospital beds.  

At East Sussex Healthcare Trust, performance has improved significantly, with 66.4% of patients now waiting less than 18 weeks compared to 59.5% last year, and almost 6,000 fewer people on the waiting list. This is thanks in no small part to the Sussex Surgical Centre, which opened in September 2025 and has since performed over 2500 surgeries. The capacity at the centre has also meant the trust can take patients from outside of East Sussex, helping to reduce waits across the wider region. 

Another new surgical hub making an impact is the Hampshire Orthopaedic Centre, which opened in September last year and has made a big impact on the trust’s elective performance with 64.5% of patients waiting less than 18 weeks compared to 59% last year. At the Orthopaedic centre, 44% of surgeries are treated as day cases meaning people have their surgery quicker, recover and return home faster – freeing up space and beds for the next patient. 

A new virtual triage clinic model introduced by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) has also significantly reduced waiting times for general gastroenterology patients and eliminated long‑wait breaches.  

A few years ago, OUH faced routine waits of up to 16 months for general gastroenterology appointments, with patients often referred multiple times and experiencing delays to diagnosis. To address this, the Trust introduced a virtual triage clinic enabling clinicians to review referrals, provide advice and guidance, redirect patients to the right service or send them straight for tests without needing an initial face-to-face appointment.  

Through this model, clinicians can help around 24 patients per session, compared with 8–12 in a traditional clinic. Only 40% of patients require an in-person appointment, while others receive timely management advice, are redirected to the correct specialty or are sent directly for diagnostics. 

This approach has reduced waiting times by over 20 weeks, and the Trust has provided advice or treatment for 2,500 patients who would otherwise have faced the longest waits.