The NHS in England is experiencing significant winter pressures earlier than usual, marked by an increase in waiting times for routine hospital treatments. As of August, the waiting list reached 7.37 million, the highest since October 2025, raising concerns about meeting the government's target of treating 92% of patients within 18 weeks by 2029.
Despite record levels of planned care over the summer, emergency departments are already seeing a surge in patients with respiratory illnesses. The number of patients waiting over 12 hours for admission has also risen, indicating a challenging winter ahead for NHS services.