The number of people waiting for tests and checks on the NHS has fallen for the third month in a row and is now at the lowest level since the elective recovery plan was launched.

Recently released data shows that there were 1,521,711 patients waiting for diagnostic tests in July - the lowest number since February when the plan was published (1,507,483).
 
The number of people waiting more than 18 months has decreased by almost a third compared to January.

The NHS is aiming to eliminate 18 month waits by April 2023 with the exception of cases where the patient choses to wait longer, or for very complex cases requiring specialist treatment.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “This month’s figures show that despite another significant wave of covid infection this summer, we are making significant progress on reducing backlogs with waits of more than 18 months down and the lowest number of patients waiting for tests and checks since we published our elective recovery plan.

“We also saw improvements in A&E performance and ambulance response times across all measures this month, despite responding to a record numbers of the most serious ambulance callouts across summer – up a third on pre-pandemic levels – and continued challenges discharging into the community and social care.

“And staff are already looking ahead for a winter that is likely to be as challenging with more 999 and 111 call handlers being recruited alongside the equivalent of 7,000 more beds being made available."