NHS waiting list swells to 7.37 million as 'ominous' winter pressure already builds in A&E

From the Newshound archive · first published 8 October 2026 · last updated 9 October 2026.

England's NHS waiting list has risen for the second consecutive month despite a record-breaking summer of treatment, with 113,339 patients now enduring waits of over a year. The NHS Alliance warns the government will miss its manifesto pledge to treat 92% of patients within 18 weeks by 2029 — a target already unmet for a decade, with only 65% currently seen in time.

Professor Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director, says A&Es are already dealing with higher-than-normal numbers of flu and respiratory patients for the season.

September set all-time records for both emergency department visits and ambulance callouts, even as 4.7 million treatments were delivered across the summer.

Over 1,600 patients every day are enduring 12-hour A&E delays, with the worst-hit hospitals yet to face the full force of winter demand.