Summary of NHS demand, performance, backlogs, and capacity of services in England. It covers A&E waiting times, hospital waiting lists, cancer waiting times, ambulance response times, staffing levels including doctors and nurses, vacancies, and more.
NHS key statistics: England (543 KB , PDF)
Before 2020, the NHS in England experienced increasing demand and declining performance on its main waiting time measures.
Many of these pressures have increased following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The waiting list for hospital treatment rose to a record of nearly 7.8 million in September 2023. The 18-week treatment target has not been met since 2016.
Source: NHS England, Consultant-Led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times
The number of people going to A&E was slightly above to pre-pandemic levels in summer 2023. The proportion of patients spending more than 4 hours in hospital A&E grew substantially between 2015 and 2020. A new record high of 50.4% was reached in December 2022.
The number of patients waiting over 12 hours for admission after a decision to admit has increased substantially over the past two years.
Source: NHS England, Accident and Emergency Attendances and Emergency Admissions
The 62-day waiting time standard for cancer has not been met in recent years. Targets have recently changed – see section 3 of the full PDF briefing for details. Previously, the standard measured only waits after GP referral, but now other routes are included, covering around 43% more patients. The 85% target remains the same. In May 2024, on the new standard, 65.8% of patients were treated within 62 days of referral.
Source: NHS England, Cancer Waiting Times
NHS staff numbers have increased, with doctor numbers up 26% and nurses up 24% over the five years to March 2024. The NHS vacancy rate was 6.9% in March 2024, down from 8.0% in March 2023.
These workforce figures do not adjust for changes in demand or activity.
Source: NHS Digital, NHS Workforce Statistics
Ambulance response times have risen, with the average response to a Category 2 call (for e.g. suspected heart attacks and strokes) at over 1 hour 30 minutes in December 2022 compared with a target of 18 minutes. Performance has subsequently improved but remains outside the target.
Source: NHS England, Ambulance Quality Indicators
For information on NHS funding and mental health services, please see our separate briefings:
Health is a devolved policy area and these statistics relate to the NHS in England only. Links to statistics for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can be found below.
NHS key statistics: England (543 KB , PDF)
Informal and unpaid carers provide vital support for many people with health and social care needs. However, there is growing evidence that the demands of caring are increasingly impacting carers’ own physical and mental health.
Suicide rates in the England have reached their highest level since 1999. The government introduced a new suicide prevention strategy for England in September 2023.
This paper provides statistics on household food insecurity, food bank usage and free school meals in the UK, and tracks the impact of rising living costs.
