Published 19th November 2025

Commenting on these reports, Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients Association said: 

“The Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) findings lay bare what patients have felt for over a decade: despite billions being spent, the NHS is still not delivering the timely care people desperately need. No one should be waiting over a year for care, but in July this year, that was the reality for nearly 192,000 patients. And this is just one element of the waiting; let’s not forget patients waiting in hospital for a safe discharge, struggles to access timely primary care services, waiting for hours for an ambulance or spending time in A&E or on trolleys in corridors. 

“We welcome the Committee’s insistence on putting patient outcomes at the heart of NHS England planning, and we acknowledge that progress, on waiting times in particular, has been made. But despite investment, shorter waits, faster diagnoses, and safer care simply isn’t happening quickly enough. Patients are rightly concerned about their conditions worsening or how long waiting times might impact their recovery. Right now, too many patients are still being let down. 

“It is deeply troubling that both the PAC, and the Institute for Government (IfG), found an absence of credible delivery plans behind major reforms and digital transformation, and the IfG’s assessment went as far as to describe the Government’s decision to abolish NHS England as ‘rushed and chaotic’. When Parliament's fiscal scrutiny committee and the UK's respected think tank on government effectiveness both reach the same conclusion on the lack of clarity on a delivery plan, this is concerning for everyone. We have been consistently told that the end to unreasonable waiting times is on the horizon and yet, despite some progress, it feels like chasing a mirage.  

“The 10 Year Health Plan and medium-term planning framework set out the right ambitions, but as the IfG notes, the implementation chapter was removed from the Plan before publication. The government and NHS England must now set out, in detail, how they will deliver on their promised reforms.  

“Every reform must be measured by patient outcomes; whether we get healthier, recover faster, and stay well. Our entire journey must improve, from first concern through treatment to recovery. We were promised better. It's time to deliver.” 

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