BHF comment
Heart care waiting list in England at two-year low
The heart care waiting list fell in September 2025 for the sixth month in a row, latest figures from NHS England show.
There were 397,478 of people waiting for ‘routine’ cardiac care in England at the end of September, down from 401,728 in August. It’s the first time the overall cardiac care waiting list has fallen below the 400,000 mark since June 2023.
Today’s figures also show:
• There was a fall in the number of people waiting 18 weeks or more, from 155,463 in August to 148,882 in September.
• The proportion of people on the list who have been waiting this long for what is time-sensitive cardiac care is 37%.
• Average ambulance waiting times for category 2 calls, which include heart attacks and strokes, rose from just over 30 mins in September to 32 minutes in October.
• The longer people wait for treatment, the higher their risk of becoming disabled from heart failure or dying prematurely.
Winter pressures
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our Clinical Director, said: “We’ve seen modest month-on-month progress to reduce the numbers of people waiting for heart care but there are still too many people waiting too long to get what can be time-critical treatment, such as stents or even heart surgery.
“Winter is approaching, and already October’s figures show a rise in average ambulance waits for life-threatening emergencies like heart attacks and strokes.
"Cold weather, seasonal illnesses, and overstretched emergency services set us up for a perfect storm that can put people’s lives at risk. NHS staff and patients will need all the support they can get in the coming months, and the Government’s upcoming Budget is a good opportunity to provide it.”