The number of patients awaiting hospital treatment in England has continued to rise, according to the latest NHS data, despite the healthcare system delivering record levels of care during the summer months. At the end of August, approximately 7.37 million treatments were pending for 6.24 million patients, marking an increase from 7.33 million treatments and 6.21 million patients reported at the end of July.

These figures represent the highest waiting list totals since October 2025, when 7.4 million treatments for 6.24 million patients were recorded. The rising backlog reflects growing challenges within NHS hospital services in managing demand for planned care.

In addition to the overall increase in patients waiting, the number of individuals facing exceptionally long waits has also grown. Data shows that 113,339 people had been waiting for hospital treatment for more than a year as of August, underscoring ongoing delays in access to services.

Despite these concerns, NHS England highlighted that more planned treatments, procedures, and appointments took place over the summer than in previous years. Between June and August, a record 4,738,824 planned interventions were carried out, suggesting efforts to accelerate the delivery of care even amid mounting demand.

The NHS continues to balance increasing patient needs with operational capacity, striving to reduce waiting times while providing ongoing treatment throughout England’s hospital network.