Every NHS hospital in England has been ordered to reduce patient waiting times for elective treatment as the Government made meeting 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 wait no more than 18 weeks.
To achieve this, each NHS trust must either achieve 60% or improve its November 2024 figures by five percentage points – whichever is greater.
This is just a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal of achieving 92% by July 2029.
Use your zip code to see if waiting lists are improving near you.
The BBC Verify analysis included NHS trusts in England with at least 5,000 people receiving elective care in November 2024.
The targets in other countries are different and the interim targets for next March set by the UK Government do not apply.
While in Scotland the target is for 90% of patients to receive treatment 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 must wait no more than 13 weeks for day or inpatient treatment.
Interactive tool created by Allie Schultes, Rebecca French, Daniel Wainwright, Nick Triggle, Ollie Lux Rigby, Chris Kay, Adam Allen, Avi Holden and Rebecca Wedge-Roberts.
