NHS England has reported that the waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England has reached 6.21 million patients, the highest level in nine months. This follows what officials called the "busiest summer in history" for the health service. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper warned that the extreme demand on the NHS is no longer limited to the winter months, but is a year-round challenge. New data from NHS England shows that emergency department (A&E) attendances in June, July, and August reached nearly 7.3 million, the highest summer total ever recorded. This is almost one million more than the same period in 2022, when 6.4 million A&E visits were reported. Ambulances also faced record callouts, handling around 2.4 million emergencies between June and August. The waiting list for planned hospital care, such as operations and specialist treatments, grew to 7.3 million treatments in July, with an estimated 7.33 million treatments waiting to be carried out by the end of the month. This is an increase from 7.27 million treatments and 6.15 million patients at the end of June. These numbers are the highest since October 2025, when the list reached 7.40 million treatments and 6.24 million patients. An estimated 111,379 people had been waiting more than a year to start routine treatment by the end of July, up from 105,711 in June. In July, about 65.4 per cent of patients began treatment within 18 weeks of being referred, slightly below the 65.8 per cent recorded in June but still above the 65 per cent target set by the government and NHS England for March of this year. Labour has previously committed to ensuring that by July 2029, 92 per cent of patients will be seen within 18 weeks for routine hospital treatment, such as hip and knee replacements. However, leading surgeons have expressed skepticism about meeting this target. Professor Frank Smith, vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said that even if the pace of improvement seen in the last two years continues, no region in England will meet the 18-week standard by 2029. NHS England data also indicates that an average of 2,973 patients in England received corridor care—where patients are treated in hallways or other non-clinical areas—each day in August. This included 2,296 in A&E departments and 677 in other parts of the hospital. Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King's Fund, highlighted the increasing pressure on the NHS during the summer, calling it a "twin crisis" alongside the traditional winter strain. She stressed the importance of building climate resilience and shifting toward preventive healthcare as core policy goals. Dr. Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, noted that behind the national figures are teams experiencing relentless pressure, a lack of meaningful solutions, and low morale. She acknowledged the tireless work of staff but emphasized that goodwill alone cannot fix long-standing structural issues. Professor Frankie Swords, NHS England's national medical director, acknowledged the challenges posed by a scorching summer, which tested the NHS like never before and saw demand reach record levels. He praised staff for rising to the challenge and noted that the NHS has been preparing for the coming winter earlier than ever before, with resilience testing around winter plans already underway. He stated that the NHS is there when patients need it and is improving care in vital life-saving areas. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper added that this has been the most demanding summer on record for A&E and ambulance staff, with heavy pressure on the NHS and winter still to come. She praised the dedication of NHS staff and noted that they managed to see a record number of patients within four hours in A&E over the summer. She emphasized the government's support for the NHS, including record investment and plans to support services through both summer and winter pressure.