NHS England’s March 2026 Integrated Performance Report shows that 24.7% of patients were waiting more than six weeks for a diagnostic procedure or test in January 2026. 

The figure was slightly improved from December 2025, but worse than January 2025, with NHS England reporting that diagnostic activity growth had not kept pace with demand growth. 

Key Developments

NHS England reported that the proportion of patients waiting more than six weeks for a diagnostic procedure or test stood at 24.7% in January 2026. This was a 0.1 percentage point improvement from 24.8% in December 2025.  

Compared with January 2025, when the proportion stood at 22.4%, the January 2026 position was 2.3 percentage points worse, equivalent to a 10.1% relative deterioration year on year.  

NHS England stated that the position was due to waiting-list activity growth failing to keep pace with waiting-list demand growth. The report recorded diagnostic activity growth of 3.3% year to date to December 2025, compared with demand growth of 3.6%, against a 4% projection.  

The report said NHS England had worked between May 2025 and March 2026 to improve diagnostic performance through actions including capital investment in capacity, clinical support for Tier 1 providers, provider-level modality-specific deep dives and demand optimisation initiatives.  

The diagnostic position was reported alongside wider access data showing improvement in the total elective waiting list, but continuing pressure in cancer pathways. The Faster Diagnosis Standard stood at 72.8% in January 2026, while the 62-day combined cancer standard stood at 68.4% against the 80% planning guidance ambition.  

Why It Matters

Diagnostic performance is a key access measure because diagnostic tests often determine whether patients can move to diagnosis, clinical decision-making and treatment. NHS England’s March report shows that the diagnostic six-week wait position was worse year on year, despite a small month-on-month improvement.  

The report also links diagnostic performance to a demand-capacity issue, stating that activity growth had not kept pace with demand growth. This places diagnostic services within the wider access and productivity challenge facing providers and integrated care boards.  

The same report shows continued pressure in cancer standards, where diagnostic timeliness is directly relevant to pathway performance. NHS England reported that the Faster Diagnosis Standard declined from 77.4% in December 2025 to 72.8% in January 2026, in line with expected seasonal trends, and remained slightly below the January 2025 position of 73.4%.  

The data indicates that diagnostic recovery remains an important part of wider NHS backlog and cancer pathway performance, particularly where demand growth continues to exceed activity growth. 

Source References

NHS England, Integrated Performance Report, March 2026. 
NHS England, Meeting of the Board of NHS England – agenda, 26 March 2026.