NHS Hospital Waiting Times Report

May 14, 2026, 13:29
UKHealth

Introduction

The NHS in England met a goal for hospital treatment times.

Main Body

In March, 65.3% of patients started treatment within 18 weeks. This is a good result. The total waiting list is now 7.11 million. This is the lowest number since August 2022. The government gave £120 million to help hospitals work faster. Some hospitals removed names from the lists to make the numbers look better. Some people say this is not a real fix. Other areas are still slow. A&E and cancer treatments did not meet their goals. Experts say the NHS needs more money and better buildings to fix these problems for a long time.

Conclusion

The NHS met one goal, but A&E and cancer care are still too slow.

Learning

🕒 The 'Time' Connection

In this text, we see how to describe when or how long things happen. This is a key skill for A2 learners.

1. Fixed Time Periods

  • 18 weeks →\rightarrow A specific length of time.
  • August 2022 →\rightarrow A specific point in history.

2. Speed Words Notice how the text describes movement and pace:

  • Faster (The opposite of slow) →\rightarrow *"work faster"
  • Slow →\rightarrow *"still slow"

3. Simple Sentence Build To talk about a goal, use this pattern:

[Person/Group] + [Action] + [Time/Goal] Example: The NHS (Group) + met (Action) + a goal (Goal).

💡 Quick Tip: When you see "since" (since August 2022), it means the action started then and is still important now.

Vocabulary Learning

goal
a desired result or aim
Example:Her goal is to finish the project by Friday.
hospital
a place where sick people are treated
Example:He went to the hospital for a check‑up.
treatment
care given to a patient
Example:The doctor explained the treatment plan.
list
a written record of items
Example:She wrote a grocery list.
number
a figure or amount
Example:The number of students increased.
government
the group that runs a country
Example:The government announced new policies.
help
to give assistance
Example:Can you help me with this task?
work
to do tasks or jobs
Example:She works at a bakery.
fast
quick in speed
Example:He runs fast.
people
human beings
Example:Many people attended the event.
real
actual or true
Example:This is a real problem.
fix
to repair or solve a problem
Example:They will fix the broken window.
slow
not fast
Example:The traffic was slow.
cancer
a disease where cells grow abnormally
Example:He was diagnosed with cancer.
care
attention or treatment
Example:She gave good care to her pet.