"The UK’s traditional healthcare model is clearly no longer working, and a new partnership between the public and private sector is required."
- Brett Hill - Broadstone
The latest NHS data has revealed that the waiting list for treatment rose to 7.33 million in July 2026.
This is an increase of 56,000 compared to June, when the waiting list dipped to 7.27 million, and is the highest level since October last year, when the waiting list stood at 7.4 million. However, it is down from the 7.39 million reported in July 2025.
308,200 people were seen in July following an urgent suspected cancer referral, with the NHS reporting that all three key cancer waiting time measures showed an improvement in July.
However, the number of people waiting for two months (62 days) from an urgent suspected cancer referral or screening to a first definitive cancer treatment is still below the operational standard of 85% in July 2026.
71.2% of these patients fall within the two-month timeframe, while 28.8% wait longer than two months.
NHS England also found that waiting times for diagnostic tests have risen by 9.6% in the last year, with a total of 1.92 million patients on the waiting list by the end of July 2026.
23.1% of this group waited at least six weeks from referral for one of the 15 key diagnostic tests, which marked an increase of 61,100 patients compared to last year.
This comes as the government announced a £1.5 billion investment aimed at helping NHS hospitals to withstand year-round pressure. £200 million will be used for 10 major projects including new operating theatres, children’s wards and improved maternity and mental health facilities, while £1.3 billion will be used for maintenance, safety and resilience projects across the NHS estate.
"Today’s figures show the NHS waiting list for elective care remains effectively stuck at over 7.2m, with the number of people waiting for treatment growing again to reach its highest level in nine months," Brett Hill, head of health and protection at leading independent financial consultancy Broadstone, said.
"At the same time, the backlog of those waiting for essential diagnostic tests - the waiting list to get on the waiting list - has grown by almost 10% over the past year, while the number of people starting cancer treatment within the operational standard remains well below the government’s target. Despite increased funding and the end of resident doctors’ industrial action, meaningful progress in improving NHS performance remains a distant prospect.
"The longer people wait for a diagnosis, the longer they may be waiting to access treatment, increasing the risk of health issues developing into more serious or chronic conditions, and forcing many to take time off work, or even leave the workforce altogether.
"The UK’s traditional healthcare model is clearly no longer working, and a new partnership between the public and private sector is required. The findings of the Keep Britain Working Review are a welcome first step, but the government needs to put concrete incentives in place to encourage employers to commit to long-term investment in the health of the UK’s workforce.
"In the meantime, forward-thinking employers across the UK are deploying innovative preventative healthcare and ill-health early intervention strategies to try and tackle the productivity challenge of an ailing workforce.
"Expanding access and coverage of PMI, health cash plans, regular health screenings and private GP services are all helping to catch health issues early and speed up recovery before health risks and acute illnesses turn into chronic disease. We expect businesses to continue to expand access to the private healthcare market through innovative health and wellbeing schemes to tackle this growing health crisis."
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Sarah Taylor, director of corporate proposition at Healix Health, added that "any improvement in cancer waiting times is worth recognising, particularly for those currently in the system. But the gap to where performance should be is still wide, with around seven in ten people starting treatment within two months of an urgent referral against a standard of 85%, and the four-week diagnosis standard at 79.3% against the 80% target it was raised to earlier this year.
"People are still spending weeks not knowing whether they have cancer or when treatment will begin, even if the direction of travel is the right one.
"What that waiting looks like at work is a different story, and our Hidden Workplace Healthcare Gap report found that while 71% of the largest employers say their healthcare support improved last year, only 36% of their employees agree, and support that exists only on paper is no help to someone waiting for a diagnosis if they cannot find it or use it.
"What makes the difference is whether it is easy to find, quick to reach and understood by the managers people turn to first. This is why we built our Cancer Care Performance Pathway as one connected model, from prevention and early detection through to treatment and return to work."
Dr David Griffiths, chief medical officer (CMO) at Teladoc Health UK, commented that it was "a little disappointing" to see the waiting list increase again following "several months of progress," but also noted that "it comes after an exceptionally demanding summer for the NHS."
"Heatwaves have contributed to record pressure on emergency services over recent months, to the point where there is now a real conversation about planning for summer pressures in the same way we traditionally have for winter. It is a reminder of how difficult it is to bring waiting times down while demand elsewhere in the system stays this high.
"For patients, however, the important thing is not simply the size of the national waiting list but what happens to them while they wait. Remote care cannot replace hospital treatment, but it does have huge value where it removes a step from a pathway, or connects a patient with the investigation or clinician they need first time.
"Reducing in-person contacts means easier logistics and less travel, improving the patient experience; right care first time can mean better outcomes and, potentially, lower cost."
