The backlog 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 that the number of patients waiting this time has fallen to just 168, excluding the most complex cases.
Staff have been praised for carrying out the NHS’s elective recovery plan, published this year to deal with backlogs built up during the coronavirus pandemic.
At the start of the year, more than 22,500 people were waiting two years or more for scans, checks and surgeries.
A further 51,000 people who would have passed the age of two at the end of July have also been cared for, 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 postpone treatment.
Since the plan was published in February, more than 220,000 Covid patients have been treated.
A record 6.6 million people are still waiting for hospital treatment, according to the BBC.
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 adopting pioneering technology such as robotic surgery and by creating new relationships and mutual aid arrangements all systems go to give patients the opportunity to be moved elsewhere and get 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 while it is a significant challenge, our remarkable staff have shown that when given the tools and resources we need, the NHS provides our patients.”
NHS England’s national director of elective recovery, Sir James Mackey, said: “Achieving this milestone is testament to the hard work of NHS staff across the country, who have dealt with tens of thousands of the longest waits in the six months since we launched our ambitious recovery plan.
“From dedicated surgery centers to increase the number of procedures performed each day, to day case surgeries that allow people to recover in the comfort of their own homes and ensure that treatment transfers can occur for to patients ready to travel, NHS staff are doing everything they can to further reduce long patient waits.”
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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.”
Next on the government’s agenda is to scrap 18-month waits by April 2023.