“Huge moment” as the health service hits 18-week target amid half-a-million waiting list drop
- The NHS has hit its target for the number of patients waiting 18-weeks thanks to the biggest improvement in waiting times since the launch of the iPad.
- In March, 65.3% of patients were waiting 18-weeks, as the waiting list fell by over 312,000 last year, the largest year-on-year reduction in 16 years.
- The improvement in performance by 6.4% since July 2024 means approaching half a million (450,000) fewer people were waiting over 18 weeks for NHS treatment in March this year.
MHRA to support local life sciences sector in Wales
- The life sciences industry in Wales is set to benefit from more direct engagement with the UK regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
- The MHRA’s new programme of events puts regulatory expertise at the heart of the Welsh life sciences powerhouse helping the industry to move faster and further.
- Three quarters of the industry’s output is for export, generating a turnover of £2.6 billion and significantly contributing to the economy.
- A new report published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that the trend in HIV diagnoses in England have continued to fall, with England meeting the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets again — with 95% of people living with HIV having been diagnosed, 95% of those diagnosed receiving treatment, and 98% of people on treatment having suppressed viral loads, meaning the virus is undetectable in their blood.
- Over 1.3 million people were tested for HIV through sexual health services in 2024. However, testing uptake was lowest among Black African heterosexual and bisexual women (78%) and other ethnic minority heterosexuals (79%), compared to over 95% among gay and bisexual men.
