Elective care reform: what the new plans will mean for doctors and waiting lists

iStock.com/Svitlana Hulko

By Daniel Pye

In early January, the government announced plans to meet the 18-week waiting time target in England by March 2029 by reforming elective care. Here is a breakdown of what those plans mean for doctors, patients and the NHS.

On 6 January, the government announced its plan for elective care reform in the NHS to reduce waiting lists.¹ It frames the beginning of health secretary Wes Streeting’s agenda for the NHS in England - to be followed up by his revised workforce review and the 10-year NHS plan in the coming months.