Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Deferred
NHS England consistently missed statutory and recovery elective care waiting targets
Conclusion
NHSE’s 2022 recovery plan ambition was to eliminate waits of longer than a year for elective care by March 2025. Within this, NHSE aimed that no one would wait longer than two years by July 2022, that there would be no waits of over 18 months by April 2023, and no waits of over 65 weeks by March 2024. The NAO reported that, while none of these targets on long waits were achieved, waits of two years had reduced by 87% by July 2022, waits of over 18 months had reduced by 83% by April 2023 and waits of no more than 65 weeks had reduced by 69% by March 2024. NHSE also missed statutory targets. Since 2013, NHS regulations have included a statutory requirement for patients on 92% of elective care pathways to wait no more than 18 weeks from referral.12 In March 2025, 60% of patients had waited for up to 18 weeks.13 For diagnostics, the post-COVID 19 recovery target was that, by March 2025, 95% of patients waiting for a test should receive it within six weeks of referral. As of January 2025, 22% of patients waited more than six weeks for their test.14
Government Response Summary
The government's response is entirely off-topic, detailing actions related to animal vaccine availability, thereby failing to address the Public Accounts Committee's factual conclusions regarding NHS elective care recovery plan ambitions and missed statutory targets.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. vaccine availability outlines a strategic framework for cross-sector action. VMD is continuing cross-sector engagement to identify ways to improve supply and enable future innovation (involving government, pharmaceutical manufacturers, vet groups and broader animal health community). A five-year multi-stakeholder Action Plan will be published late 2026. Defra will work with VMD as the plan is developed. In parallel, mitigations for urgent availability issues are being identified and actioned. Action has already been taken to secure animal vaccine supply to the UK. For example, in 2024, Defra worked with manufacturers, industry and the VMD to expedite emergency use of a Bluetongue 3 vaccine and subsequently to manage supply challenges. Defra supported the joint industry-government avian influenza vaccine taskforce (the Taskforce) to look at the emerging use of HPAI vaccines. A report published by the Taskforce on 24 July 2025 provisionally recommends a future species-specific vaccination strategy, and a trial in turkeys. The Taskforce has committed to publish a subsequent report in Summer 2026. In relation to vaccine development work for Bovine TB, an application for approval of the Cattle BCG vaccine was made in September 2025 and is being assessed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate according to published timelines. APHA continues work towards generation of data for the bovine TB cattle vaccine skin test which involves a commercial contract and tender exercise.