WIREDGOV

‘Getting the waiting list down to the lowest level in nearly three years is a real achievement, especially when considering that this data was collected in December. That was a period when the NHS was facing acute winter pressures including high flu rates, and industrial action. It is a credit to the preparation by NHS leaders and the tireless work of staff on the ground who, even whilst stretched to the limit, have been able to keep the system on its feet and make inroads that will have improved patient outcomes.

‘Questions remain to what extent validation is being used to drive the fall in numbers rather than the number of patients treated. The record increase in activity, 400,000 additional treatments and operations last year compared with 2024, equates to a 2% rise in activity. This matches with the 2% fall in the waiting list over the period, however the increases in treatment have not been overtaken with an increase in referrals so in theory the waiting list should still be growing.

‘Instead, there has been a sharp new focus on waiting list validation, with it being financially incentivised by the government through things like ‘validation sprints’ which has helped speed up the fall in overall waiting list numbers. The period between October and November last year demonstrates this clearly. There was a record fall in the waiting list of 87,000 people yet there was no significant rise in outpatient or admitted activity across the same period.

‘Validation itself can be a useful tool. For some, taking someone off the waiting list could be the right decision, their condition may have resolved for example, but there are concerns about how this process is working. It is well known that NHS admin is often not up to scratch and that this risks people being taken off lists by mistake or because they don't respond to communications which they may not have received, with 20% saying that they received an invitation to an appointment after the date of the appointment.

‘The only sustainable way to get the waiting list down, especially to the degree the government has committed, is through major and sustained increases in activity. Ministers should implement greater transparency to build trust in the waiting list validation processes and so that patients have a clear understanding of the performance of the NHS.'

Notes to editors