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.
BBC Verify’s analysis included NHS trusts in England that had at least 5,000 people waiting for elective treatment in November 2024.
Targets in other nations are different and the interim targets for next March set by the UK government do not apply.
While Scotland aims for 90% of patients to be treated within 18 weeks of referral, in Wales the target is for 95% of patients to wait less than 26 weeks.
In Northern Ireland, 55% of patients should wait no longer than 13 weeks for day case or inpatient treatment.
Interactive tool produced by Alli Shultes, Rebecca French, Daniel Wainwright, Nick Triggle, Ollie Lux Rigby, Chris Kay, Adam Allen, Avi Holden and Rebecca Wedge-Roberts
Nail technician Erin, who missed two years of work during her cancer treatment, also has…
UN teams on the ground reached the families after they were confined to their homes…
According to local authorities, the disease has killed 2,325 people, surpassing the 2,299 deaths recorded…
Whilst in Egypt, Kushner also met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. According to Israeli media…
The conflict there killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions, and caused severe damage…
Iqra Wasim from Fishponds in Bristol has struggled with PMOS symptoms such as painful acne…