England Hits 65.3% NHS Treatment Target as Waiting List Falls to 7.1 Million

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 14

65.3% of patients in England received planned NHS treatment within 18 weeks in March, allowing the government to meet its interim target on schedule.
March's data also showed the overall waiting list easing to 7.1 million from 7.2 million, its lowest level in three and a half years.
The improvement still leaves a large gap to the government's main goal of treating 92% of patients within 18 weeks by the end of this parliament.
For Health Secretary Wes Streeting, the figures offer evidence of progress in efforts to turn around NHS performance amid wider political scrutiny.

Are falling NHS waiting lists a sign of genuine progress or a clever manipulation of data and targets?

As NHS waiting lists shrink, is a two-tier system of public and private care becoming permanent?