THE NHS is failing to hit most of its key performance targets in England, including for cancer treatment, despite a fall overall in waiting lists, the latest official figures revealed today.

New data from NHS England shows that while the number of treatments waiting to be carried out dropped for a second month in November, 11,168 people waited more than 18 months to start routine hospital treatment, up from 10,506 at the end of October.

The government and NHS England had planned to eliminate all waits of more than 18 months by April 2023, excluding exceptionally complex cases.