Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with ICBs on minimum waiting times for NHS services.

There have been no discussions on minimum waiting times between my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and the integrated care boards (ICBs).

ICBs plan activity to meet targets set in the planning guidance. This is an important step toward returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. Planning guidance for 2025/26 sets a target that 65% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks by March 2026, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum 5% improvement on current performance over that period.