The number of people waiting more than two years for a routine operation in England has fallen from 22,500 at the start of the year to less than 200.
Figures from NHS England show the number of patients waiting that long has fallen to just 168, excluding more complex cases.
Staff have been praised for delivering on the NHS’s elective recovery plan, published this year to deal with the backlog built up during the coronavirus pandemic.
At the start of the year, more than 22,500 people waited two years or more for scans, examinations and operations.
Another 51,000, who would have passed the two-year mark by the end of July, have also been treated, the figures show.
At the end of July, three NHS regions had no patients waiting two years or more for routine care, with another three regions reducing the number to single figures. This excludes more than 2,500 who are complex cases or have chosen to delay treatment.
More than 220,000 Covid patients have been treated since the plan was published in February.
A record 6.6 million people are still waiting for hospital treatment, the BBC reports.
NHS England chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said: “This has only been possible because the NHS has continued to reform the way we deliver care, using innovative techniques and embracing pioneering technology such as robotic surgery, and by building new relationships and mutual aid agreements between systems to offer patients the opportunity to be transferred elsewhere and receive the care they need as quickly as possible.
“The next phase will focus on patients waiting more than 18 months, building on the fantastic work already done, and although it is a significant challenge, our outstanding staff have shown that when we are given the tools and resources we need, the NHS delivers for our patients.”
NHS England’s National Director of Elective Recovery, Sir James Mackie, said: “Achieving this milestone is testament to the hard work of NHS staff across the country who have treated tens of thousands of the longest waiting list in the six months since we launched our ambitious recovery plan.
“From specialist surgery centers to increase the number of procedures carried out each day, to day case surgeries allowing people to recover in the comfort of their own homes and ensuring that transitions of care can happen for these patients, ready to travel, NHS staff are doing everything they can to further reduce patient waiting times.”
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Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “This is a testament to NHS staff who have worked incredibly hard to get us here despite significant challenges.”
The government’s next agenda is to remove 18-month waiting times by April 2023.
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