Every NHS hospital in England has been told to improve patient waiting times for planned treatment as the government has made hitting the 18-week target one of its key priorities for this parliament.
By March 2026, the government wants to see at least 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks.
To get there, every NHS trust has to either get to 60% or improve on its November 2024 figures by five percentage points - whichever is greater.
That is just a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal of achieving 92% by July 2029.
Use your postcode to find out whether waiting lists are getting better near you.
