NHSE seeks to ease key elective target

NHS England is in negotiations with ministers to formally push back the target to eliminate 65-week waiters, HSJ has learned.

Discussions about the target are on-going as part of negotiations around the delayed 2024-25 planning guidance. It has been clear for months the March deadline to virtually eliminate 65-week waiters would be missed.

It has emerged some trusts with the largest waiting lists already appear to be working to a September deadline.

The news follows prime minister Rishi Sunak being forced to finally admit this week that his flagship NHS pledge from last January, that the waiting list would be falling by this year, had failed. This was something NHS bosses have warned of since summer.

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Source: HSJ, 9 February 2024Choose Single File...