NHS cuts longest waits

The head of the NHS in England has hailed the ‘great strides’ the health service is making, as new figures show major improvements across long waits, urgent and emergency services, and cancer care.

The number of patients waiting more than 18 months fell to just 10,737 by April – down by more than 90% from 124,911 in September 2021 and by more than four-fifths since the start of January when there were 54,882.