Number of people waiting more than a year for NHS treatment in Bedfordshire falls by over half

In the year to April 2025 4,263 people in the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board area were waiting more than 52 weeks between referral and treatment.

This was compared to the year to April 2024 when there were 9,550 people waiting, a difference of 55.4 per cent.

Chief executive of the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board Felicity Cox said: “The reduction in waiting lists is good news for local patients.

“I’m pleased to see these figures, which show that our local trusts are making progress on waiting lists faster than the national average, but we still have a lot more to do.

“The national standard is that nobody should wait longer than 18 weeks from referral to beginning their treatment.

“We have seen a substantial reduction over the past year in the number of people waiting the longest times for treatment, and National Health Service staff are working incredibly hard to maintain that progress.”

Nationally, the number of patients waiting for treatment fell from 302,589 to 190,068, a decrease of 37.2 per cent.

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