# Make NHS waiting lists fall

> “Fourth, NHS waiting lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly.”
>
> — Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister, Conservative Party; Speech setting out his five priorities, 4 January 2023

- **Status:** Promised
- **Status ladder:** Promised → In plan → Legislated → Funded → Delivering → Delivered
- **Policy area:** [Health](https://ledgergov.uk/promises/area/health)
- **Speaker:** [Rishi Sunak](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/rishi-sunak), Prime Minister
- **Party:** [Conservative Party](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/conservatives)
- **Made on:** 4 January 2023
- **Where:** Speech setting out his five priorities
- **Cost a year:** No costing published
- **Who it affects:** Patients in England waiting for planned (elective) hospital treatment
- **When:** Not stated
- **Paid for by:** Not stated when it was announced
- **Quote source:** https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-on-making-2023-the-first-year-of-a-new-and-better-future-4-january-2023 (checked word for word at its source on 20 October 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0)
- **Last updated:** 20 October 2026
- **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-nhs-waiting-lists-fall-2023

## Where it stands

The pledge gives no date or figure. NHS England counted 7.21 million patients waiting for planned hospital treatment in England at the end of October 2022, the latest figure when it was made, and 7.6 million waiting-list pathways (about 6.4 million people) at the end of June 2024, the last full month before Rishi Sunak left office on 5 July 2024. Without a date the card cannot be marked met or not met, so it stays at Promised. No body in power is committed to it as worded; the present government's commitment is on waiting times (card uk-nhs-18-weeks-2024).

## Timeline

- 4 January 2023, Promised: The Prime Minister makes falling NHS waiting lists the fourth of five promises

## About the cost

No figure in the speech, and no costing of the pledge was published.

## Sources

- [Prime Minister's Office: PM speech on building a better future, 4 January 2023](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-on-making-2023-the-first-year-of-a-new-and-better-future-4-january-2023)
- [NHS England: RTT waiting times statistical press notice, October 2022 data (8 Dec 2022)](https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Oct22-RTT-SPN-publication-version-PDF-438K-39982.pdf)
- [NHS England: RTT waiting times statistical press notice, June 2024 data (8 Aug 2024)](https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/RTT-statistical-press-notice-Jun24-PDF-386K-07252.pdf)

## Checks

- Checked automatically by AI Journalist, not yet verified by an editor.
- Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 20 October 2026.

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