Biggest fall in English heart care waiting list in five years

The heart care waiting list saw the biggest monthly fall in five years in May, latest figures from NHS England show. 

There were 409,800 people waiting for ‘routine’ cardiac care in England at the end of May, down from 418,892 in April. It is the largest monthly fall in heart care waits since May 2020, two months after the Covid pandemic began.

Today’s figures also show:

• There was a fall in the number of people waiting 18 weeks or more, to 157,358 in May from 164,919 in April. The proportion of people on the list who have been waiting this long for what is time-sensitive cardiac care has eased slightly to 38 per cent.
• There was a slight fall in the number of people waiting over a year for cardiac care, to 7,848 in May, from 7,875 in April. In February 2020, there were just 28 people waiting this long.
• The longer people wait for treatment, the higher their risk of becoming disabled from heart failure or dying prematurely.
• The average ambulance response time for heart attacks and strokes was just under 30   minutes in June 2025, back up from 28 minutes in May, latest NHS England data reveals .
• The current NHS England average response target for category 2 calls is 30 minutes for 2025/26. 
• Before the pandemic, the response target for category 2 calls – which includes suspected heart attacks and strokes - was an average of 18 minutes. However, the target was relaxed due to growing pressure on the NHS, not a change in clinical urgency.

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our clinical director, said: “It’s reassuring to see heart care waits fall for the second month in a row. The tide seems to be turning for cardiovascular disease in line with waiting lists for other conditions – hopefully this is the start of an ongoing trend that will continue into winter. 

“However, there are still around 400,000 people waiting far too long for time-sensitive heart tests and treatment. Such delays risk avoidable disability and can even cost lives.  

“Last week’s 10 Year Health Plan could put us on the right path to address this cardiac crisis, though it will take time, investment and enough people to deliver it. We look forward to helping Government develop the specific framework for cardiovascular disease to make sure it works for everyone living with or at risk of cardiovascular disease.”~

OUR RESPONSE TO THE 10 YEAR HEALTH PLAN