The waiting list for hospital treatment in England is at its worst since 2025, new figures show, despite record levels of care being delivered.
According to new NHS figures, an estimated 7.37 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of August, relating to 6.24 million patients.
This is up from 7.33 million treatments and 6.21 million patients at the end of July.
The numbers are the highest since October 2025, when the list stood at 7.40 million treatments and 6.24 million patients.
At the end of August, there were also more people waiting over a year to start routine treatment, with an estimated 113,339 people recorded, up from 111,379 people at the end of July.
The government has pledged that 92% of patients in England will begin treatment within 18 weeks by the end of the current parliament in 2029.
Currently, around 65% are treated within this timeframe.
