Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce NHS waiting times for elective procedures.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, ensuring patients get timely access to the procedures they need.

We promised change, and we’ve delivered, with a reduction in the waiting list of over 290,000 since the Government came into office, despite over 44.7 million referrals onto the list in that period.

This progress has been made through setting ambitious targets, investing in modernisation, reforming and simplifying pathways, increasing surgical and diagnostic capacity, and empowering patients with faster and more convenient access to care.