The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has responded to the latest NHS England performance data, saying that tackling both the outdated model of outpatient care and the social determinants of health are key to bringing down waiting lists.
Despite improvements in recent months, the total waiting list for treatment in England stood at 7.4 million in February 2025. Just 59% of patients received treatment within 18 weeks – far from the 2029 government target of 92%.
The majority of patients currently waiting for care in the NHS are not waiting for surgery, but for an outpatient appointment — to get a diagnosis, treatment plan, or follow-up. With the NHS under increasing strain, the RCP argues that improving outpatient care is key to delivering more efficient, person-centred healthcare that meets patients’ needs earlier and closer to home.
The new data coincides with RCP's report Prescription for outpatients: reimagining planned specialist care (launched Wednesday 16 April), which outlines a long-term vision to transform outdated outpatient services.
Dr. Theresa Barnes, RCP clinical lead for outpatients, said: “The figures highlight the ongoing strain across the NHS – a reality that we know is being felt in outpatient services. Most patients on the waiting list are waiting to be seen, not operated on – and this can mean months or years of pain, uncertainty and worsening health.
“Our current outpatient model is outdated and fragmented. If we want to truly bring down NHS waiting times and deliver better care, we need a radical shift towards early intervention, integrated care, and services built around patients’ needs – not the system’s limitations.”
The RCP's report on outpatient care sets out over 40 recommendations for transforming outpatient care – including more postgraduate training places for doctors, investment in NHS facilities and infrastructure, and the reform of funding and commissioning models – to bring down waiting lists and improve patient outcomes and experience.
View the latest waiting times at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2024-25/#Feb25. The total waiting list stood at 7,402,148 in February 2025.
