Midlands NHS achieves fastest reduction in waiting lists in England
New data shows significant progress in cutting surgery delays
Patients across the Midlands are seeing hospital waiting lists decline at a rate three times faster than the national average, according to a new NHS dashboard tracking referral to treatment times.
The Midlands has reduced surgical waiting lists by 6.5% over the last year, surpassing the 2.3% drop seen nationally, and significantly outperforming other regions such as the South East and North West, which recorded reductions of 3.1%.
The number of patients in the Midlands waiting over a year for treatment has fallen by more than 40%, compared to a national decrease of 29%. Additionally, 62% of Midlands patients are now treated within the national 18-week target, marking an improvement of 3.6 percentage points compared to the national improvement of 2.6 percentage points.
Hospital achievements across the Midlands
Specific hospitals in the region have made remarkable progress, as revealed by the Referral to Treatment Waiting Times Dashboard.
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals have cut the number of patients waiting over a year by more than 97% since November 2024 and reduced overall surgery waiting lists by nearly 30%.
University Hospitals Birmingham Trust has reduced its number of patients waiting over a year from 4,400 to 1,600 as of November – a 65% drop within a year.
In the East Midlands, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust reduced their overall waiting list by over 12,000 patients, an 11.3% reduction, since November 2024. The Trust has halved its long-waiter numbers by 51.3%, aided by digital tools improving communication with patients and reducing missed appointments.
Reform efforts driving reductions
The launch of the dashboard coincides with the anniversary of the government’s Elective Reform Plan, which set out multiple measures to address NHS waiting list backlogs and improve elective care delivery. Initiatives include expanding community diagnostic centres, developing surgical hubs, extending services into evenings and weekends, and minimising unnecessary appointments by introducing “straight-to-test” procedures.
Dr Jess Sokolov, Regional Medical Director for NHS England in the Midlands, said:
“We’re committed to reducing waiting times for local patients not just because faster treatment offers massive improvements to quality of life. But also because we see fewer patients needing urgent and emergency care when their health deteriorates waiting for much-needed surgery.
“Across the Midlands we have been working to bring diagnostic and planned services into more convenient community locations meaning hospitals can focus on patients who need urgent and emergency care.”
The NHS is targeting to reduce waiting times to 18 weeks for all patients by the end of the current Parliament, with plans to treat 92% of patients within this window by 2029.