Jump to contentAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe NHS waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England rose to 7.33 million in July, reaching its highest level in nine months. A record 7.3 million A&E attendances and 2.4 million ambulance callouts were logged between June and August during the busiest summer in NHS history. Health secretary Yvette Cooper warned that extreme demand on the health service is no longer confined to the winter months. More than 111,000 patients had been waiting over a year for routine care by the end of July, casting doubt on Labour's 2029 waiting time targets. An average of 2,973 patients each day received corridor care in August as health leaders highlighted the impact of extreme weather and structural issues. In fullNHS waiting list reaches 6.21 million patients after ‘busiest summer in history’More bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper warned that ‘extreme demand’ on the service is ‘no longer confined to winter’

The waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England hit 7.33 million in July - the highest total since October 2025, when it stood at 7.4 million.