RTT & Elective Care

Detailed metrics on referral to treatment and elective care performance

RTT Performance Summary

Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times, March 2026 (published May 2026). Sheffield excluded due to data issues.

18-Week Performance (Shelford Avg)
66.4%
NHS target: 92% · England avg: 65.3% · 9 trusts reporting
Total Waiting List
830k
Patients on incomplete pathways (9 trusts)
52+ Week Waiters
1.12%
9,291 patients · England avg: 1.33%
65+ Week Waiters
129
Patients waiting 65+ weeks across 9 trusts
Elective Recovery Plan Milestones: The Government's plan aims for 65% of patients within 18 weeks by March 2026 (with every trust delivering a 5pp improvement), 70% by March 2027, and the constitutional standard of 92% by March 2029. The Shelford average has now reached 66.4% as of March 2026 (9 trusts reporting; Sheffield excluded due to data issues), exceeding the March 2026 milestone. Source: NHS England Medium Term Planning Framework 2026/27–2028/29 and 2025/26 Operational Planning Guidance.

Trust-Level RTT Performance

Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times, March 2026 (published May 2026). Sheffield excluded due to data issues.

Trust18wk PerformanceWaiting List Size52+ week %78+ week %

18-Week Performance Trends with Elective Recovery Benchmarks

Source: NHS England Acute Provider Time Series, March 2025 – March 2026 (published May 2026). Sheffield excluded due to data issues. Benchmark lines from Elective Reform Plan (Jan 2025) and Medium Term Planning Framework.

18-Week Performance by Trust – 3 Month Comparison

Source: NHS England Acute Provider Time Series, January – March 2026 (published May 2026). Sheffield excluded due to data issues.

Waiting List Size by Trust (thousands)

Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times, March 2026. Sheffield excluded due to data issues.

Long Waiters by Trust (% of waiting list)

Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times, March 2026. Sheffield excluded due to data issues.

52+ Week Waiters Trend (% of waiting list)

Source: NHS England Acute Provider Time Series, March 2025 – March 2026 (published May 2026). Interim target: less than 1% by March 2026. Sheffield excluded due to data issues.