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Long waits in A&E rise sharply – as overall NHS waiting list in England continues to fall<\/p>\n
The number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E departments for a hospital bed has risen sharply \u2013 though the overall NHS waiting list continues to drop, PA Media reports. PA says:<\/p>\n
New data for England shows that the number of people waiting more than 12 hours for a hospital bed following a decision to admit them stood at 71,517 in January, up sharply from 50,775 in December.<\/p>\n
This is the highest number since monthly records began in August 2010.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the number waiting at least four hours from the decision to admit to admission stood at 161,141 last month, up from 137,763 in December and the second highest figure on record.<\/p>\n
Some 72.5% of patients in England are being dealt with within four hours, against a March 2026 target of 78%.<\/p>\n
When it comes to the overall NHS waiting list, this has fallen for the second month in a row.<\/p>\n
An estimated 7.29 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of December 2025, relating to 6.17 million patients.<\/p>\n
This is down from 7.31 million treatments at the end of November, while the figure for patients has remained at 6.17 million.<\/p>\n
The list hit a record high in September 2023, with 7.77 million treatments and 6.50 million patients.<\/p>\n
Some experts have raised concerns about how the drop in the waiting list is being achieved, owing to the practice of \u201clist cleaning\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Nuffield Trust has argued that the balance between referrals for treatment versus treatment delivered has not changed very much, meaning a big proportion of waiting list reductions have happened due to other reasons, such as list cleaning.<\/p>\n
In its own news release<\/a> about today\u2019s figures, NHS England says it carried out a record number of operations and treatments last year. It says:<\/p>\n The NHS delivered more elective activity in 2025 than any other year in its history, helping cut the waiting list to its lowest level since February 2023.<\/p>\n Staff delivered a historic high of 18.4 million treatments and operations in 2025, up from 18 million in 2024, as the waiting list dropped to 7.29 million.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s data<\/a> shows there were 1.43 million treatments delivered in December \u2013 an increase of 91,775 on last year \u2013 despite 5 days of industrial action by resident doctors, thanks to staff maintaining almost 95% of usual activity during strikes.<\/p>\n The percentage of people waiting over 18 weeks for treatment slightly decreased to 61.5%, while the percentage of those waiting over 52 weeks dropped to just 1.9% \u2013 the lowest since June 2020 \u2013 as the Elective Reform Plan continues to drive NHS services to tackle the longest waits and ensure more people are seen quicker.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>No 10 says Ratcliffe ‘right’ to say sorry – and sidesteps questions about whether apology should have gone further<\/p>\n Jim Ratcliffe\u2019s statement today (see 12.10pm<\/a>) does not count as a full, proper apology. Ratcliffe is not apologising for what he said; he is saying he is sorry that some people were offended \u2013 implying that whether or not his words were offensive is a matter for debate. But at least he did not say \u201cif\u201d people were offended.<\/p>\n At the Downing Street lobby briefing, asked if the Ratcliffe apology should have gone further, the PM\u2019s spokesperson did not press this point. He just said:<\/p>\n The prime minister asked for an apology, and one\u2019s been issued, and it\u2019s absolutely right that Jim Ratcliffe has apologised for that language.<\/p>\n Asked again if the apology went far enough, the spokesperson said:<\/p>\n It\u2019s for Mr Ratcliffe to speak to his apology \u2026 It\u2019s not for me.<\/p>\n Sunder Katwala, who runs British Future, a thinktank dealing with immigration, race and identity issues, has posted on Bluesky<\/a> about what he thinks Ratcliffe should have said.<\/p>\n Jim Ratcliffe has issued a bland and generic statement about economic policy which does not engage at all with what he got wrong, or why saying the UK has been colonised has been legitimately criticised. Nor does he seem to retract his language of colonisation in gesturing towards a semi-apology<\/p>\n TRY: \u201cI regret saying that UK has been colonised by immigration, I understand that was the wrong language to use. I can see how that has detracted from what I see as the substantive issue: jobs, growth, welfare and well-managed migration for the benefit of all, which I hope to engage with better\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Reeves says Ratcliffe’s comment about UK being ‘colonised’ by migrants ‘disgusting’<\/p>\n Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, has said that it was \u201cdisgusting\u201d for Jim Ratcliffe<\/a> to talk about the UK being \u201ccolonised\u201d by migrants.<\/p>\n On a visit to Crawley, speaking shortly before Ratcliffe issued his partial apology (see 12.10pm<\/a>), Reeves said:<\/p>\n Investment in Grangemouth is to support jobs in Grangemouth and support vital industries in Scotland and in the UK.<\/p>\n But what Jim Ratcliffe said was unacceptable. It was disgusting, frankly, and he should apologise for his remarks, but I\u2019m not going to let what Jim Ratcliffe has said determine the future of jobs in Scotland.<\/p>\n Ratcliffe runs the chemicals company Ineos, which has major ethylene plant in Grangemouth in Scotland. At the end of last year the government announced \u00a3120m in funding<\/a> to keep it operating.<\/p>\n Rachel Reeves on a visit to the OpenReach training centre in Crawley, West Sussex. Photograph: Yui Mok\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.08 EST<\/p>\n No 10 claims it still has cabinet secretary – but won’t say who it is, and won’t comment on reports Chris Wormald being sacked<\/p>\n The Downing Street lobby briefing has just finished but, on the issue of the fate of Chris Wormald (see 10.07am<\/a>), reporters emerged no wiser than when they went in.<\/p>\n The PM\u2019s spokesperson refused to say what is happening to Wormald and refused to say whether or not he is still cabinet secretary.<\/p>\n At one point the spokesperson said that the Cabinet Office was ‘\u201cstill being supervised by the cabinet secretary\u201d \u2013 implying that someone is actually doing the job. But, when reporters asked who this mysterious individual was, the spokeperson refused to say.<\/p>\n He repeatedly said he would not comment on the \u201congoing speculation\u201d.<\/p>\n Asked about the claims that Antonia Romeo is being lined up to replace Wormald, the spokesperson said those were \u201cspeculative reports\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.25 EST<\/p>\n FA to look at whether Ratcliffe broke football rules by saying UK \u2018colonised\u2019 by immigrants<\/p>\n The Football Association will look at whether Jim Ratcliffe brought the game into disrepute through his claims that the UK has been \u201ccolonised\u201d by immigrants<\/a>, Nick Ames reports.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Ratcliffe says he’s sorry his migration comment ‘offended some people’, but stresses need for ‘open debate’ on topic<\/p>\n Jim Ratcliffe has issued a statement saying he is sorry that his comment about the UK being \u201ccolonised\u201d by migrants \u201coffended some people\u201d. But he defends the need for an \u201copen debate\u201d on the topic.<\/p>\n He said:<\/p>\n I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth.<\/p>\n My comments were made while answering questions about UK policy at the European industry summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing in the UK.<\/p>\n My intention was to stress that governments must manage migration alongside investment in skills, industry and jobs so that long-term prosperity is shared by everyone. It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Keir Starmer\u2019s approval ratings are dire. Last week the polling firm Ipsos published this chart<\/a> showing how he compares to other Labour and Tory leaders over the past two decades.<\/p>\n Approval ratings for party leaders Photograph: Ipsos<\/p>\n But Starmer\u2019s ratings are improving. YouGov has published figures <\/a>showing that his net favourability rating is up 10 points since January \u2013 although, at -47 \u2013 it is still very poor.<\/p>\n Starmer’s approval ratings Photograph: YouGov<\/p>\n The fieldwork for the YouGov polling was carried out on Tuesday and Wednesday, after Starmer faced down a threat to his leadership from his party. He may have got some credit for that, but it is also possible that he impressed people by standing up to Donald Trump, over Greenland and over the president\u2019s comments about the record of British troops in Afghanistan in late January.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Government will publish humble address Mandelson documents ‘as soon as we can’, minister tells MPs Alexandra Topping is a Guardian political correspondent.<\/p>\n Chris Ward, a Cabinet Office minister, has told MPs that the government will comply with last week\u2019s humble address<\/a> requiring the release of government papers relating to Peter Mandelson\u2019s time as ambassador to the US \u201cas soon as possible\u201d.<\/p>\n Responding to an urgent question tabled by the Conservatives<\/a>, Ward said:<\/p>\n The government will comply fully and publish documents as soon as possible.<\/p>\n As I said in this house last week, we welcome both the principle and content of that motion, and we will deliver on it as soon as we can.<\/p>\n As such, government departments have been instructed to retain any material which may be relevant, and work is under way to identify documents which fall in scope of the motion.<\/p>\n We will do [this] as soon as possible when the house returns from recess, in line with the motion passed by this house.<\/p>\n Where the government considers documents may be prejudicial to UK national security or international relations, the Cabinet Office will refer this material to the independent intelligence and security committee.<\/p>\n The Commons starts a half-term recess this afternoon, and will return on Monday week.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here is video of Jim Ratcliffe making his comment about the UK being \u201ccolonised\u201d by immigrants.<\/p>\n Kemi Badenoch has urged Keir Starmer to delay the departure of Sir Chris Wormald, the cabinet secretary, so that he remains in post to oversee the release of government documents relating to Peter Mandelson\u2019s time as ambassador to Washington.<\/p>\n Although No 10 has not confirmed Wormald\u2019s departure, it has reportedly already been agreed that he is leaving and No 10 is working to find a successor<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a letter to the Civil Service Commission, Badenoch said:<\/p>\n It is hard to escape the conclusion that the cabinet secretary is simply the latest person to be thrown under a bus by this prime minister.<\/p>\n It is all the more concerning to be changing cabinet secretary in the midst of the ongoing scandal over the appointment of Lord Mandelson and his conduct in office.<\/p>\n Last week MPs voted for a humble address motion<\/a> requiring the government to publish potentially a huge mass of information relating to Mandelson\u2019s time as ambassador. Normally the cabinet secretary would be in charge of overseeing a project like this.<\/p>\n In her letter Badenoch said:<\/p>\n Changing the cabinet secretary in the middle of this scandal \u2013 or more precisely forcing out the incumbent without any clear process \u2013 would be an extraordinary thing to do.<\/p>\n Any individual appointed in the circumstances, without a full process to point to and in midst of managing a scandal, could find it difficult to demonstrate impartiality.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.39 EST<\/p>\n Lisa Nandy says ministers should act more like they’re in ‘Labour government’, willing to ‘rebalance’ power<\/p>\n One consequence of the Labour leadership crisis on Sunday\/Monday, when the PM\u2019s chief of staff quit and No 10 feared an outbreak of calls for Keir Starmer\u2019s resignation, is that there has been a widespread recognition in government, and in the Labour party more generally, that No 10 needs to operate differently. Ed Miliband articulated this well on Tuesday morning<\/a>. Whether or not there will be any significant change remains to be seen, but the nature of the response to what Jim Ratcliffe said may be evidence that No 10, post-McSweeney, will start sounding less constrained. (See 8.49am<\/a>.)<\/p>\n If so, Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, will be pleased. On Tuesday she gave an interview to Simon Hattenstone, and in it she made it clear that she wants ministers to act more like a \u201cLabour government\u201d.<\/p>\n Nandy said:<\/p>\n One thing I really do think is we came into office with so much that is broken, including people\u2019s faith in politics to make things better. There was so much to fix.<\/p>\n The challenge is that I think we\u2019ve started to behave like a government of national emergency and not a Labour government.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve got to wear our colours on our sleeves again, because people need to know why we, in particular, are the answer to their problems.<\/p>\n Nandy was mostly talking in broad terms, rather than advocating for policies that are not currently part of the government\u2019s programme. But she also suggested she wanted the government to be more radical in terms of redistributing power. She said:<\/p>\n At times in our history in the Labour movement we\u2019ve understood that our job is not just about redistributing wealth, it\u2019s about who holds power.<\/p>\n Asked if that was the case now, she replied: \u201cI think we\u2019ve forgotten it.\u201d<\/p>\n Explaining this in more detail, she said:<\/p>\n Every day we have to get up and say: how do we rebalance this country in favour of ordinary people? How do we break up this network of people who\u2019ve had a grip on our systems, institutions and opportunities for too long? We\u2019ve got to be prepared to think big enough to change things, not just tinker around the edges.<\/p>\n You can read the full interview here.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Farage defends Ratcliffe, saying it’s wrong to ignore impact of ‘unprecedented mass immigration’<\/p>\n But Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, has defended Jim Ratcliffe. In a statement<\/a> responding to Keir Starmer\u2019s call for Ratcliffe to apologise, Farage said:<\/p>\n Britain has undergone unprecedented mass immigration that has changed the character of many areas in our country.<\/p>\n Labour may try to ignore that but Reform won\u2019t.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Lib Dems and Greens condemn Ratcliffe – while Tories offer only mild criticism, saying migration ‘of great concern to millions’<\/p>\n The Liberal Democrats and the Greens have joined those strongly criticising Jim Ratcliffe\u2019s claim that the UK is being \u201ccolonised\u201d by migrants.<\/p>\n Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, posted this reponse on social media<\/a>:<\/p>\n Totally wrong. Totally out of step with British values. He should apologise now.<\/p>\n And the Green party issued this statement from its byelection candidate in Gorton and Denton, Hannah Spencer.<\/p>\n I challenge Jim Ratcliffe to join me on Stockport Road, meet the hard-working business people, struggling residents, and look them in the eye and listen to them.<\/p>\n I have and I know that they are sickened by his views and demand his apology.<\/p>\n This is Britain\u2019s seventh-richest man, who moved to tax-free Monaco in 2020 and owns Manchester United punching down on the people in this constituency. What disgusting and racist comments. No wonder Reform leader Nigel Farage has backed him.<\/p>\n But the Conservative party has been much more muted in its criticism. This is what Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, said when asked about Ratcliffe\u2019s comments this morning.<\/p>\n I wouldn\u2019t use that term colonised. I think it\u2019s pejorative and suggests there\u2019s some kind of huge negativity around the motivations of those people that come here. And I don\u2019t think that\u2019s the case across the piece.<\/p>\n But he is referencing something that is of great concern to millions of people up and down the country, that migration has been too high for too long.<\/p>\n When we were in government, we were doing something about that at the tail end of the Conservative government. We\u2019ve seen those figures coming down as a consequence of our action.<\/p>\n But we do need to be very aware of the impact that migration has, particularly illegal migration, which the government is showing no signs of being able to control.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Government source hits back after ex-FCO permanent secretary warns against Antonia Romeo being made cabinet secretary<\/p>\n Sir Simon McDonald, the former permanent secretary of the Foreign Office, has urged No 10 to do \u201cmore due diligence\u201d as it prepares to replace the cabinet secretary, Chris Wormald, with Antonia Romeo, the frontrunner for the role. Rowena Mason has the story.<\/p>\n Steven Swinford from the Times says McDonald\u2019s comments have provoked a furious backlash from people within government. He has posted<\/a> this comment from a government source.<\/p>\n This is a desperate attempt from a senior male official whose time has passed but spent their career getting Britain into the mess it finds itself in today. A computer says no culture, that cannot challenge the status quo.<\/p>\n Antonia is a disrupter. She isn\u2019t settled with the status quo. She is one of the few senior officials that has always fought against the computer says no culture embedded in the British state<\/p>\n In light of the crisis we face as a country, Antonia is exactly the leadership the civil service need to embrace systemic reform to rewire the state, take on vested interest and deliver for the British people.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>UK economy grows by only 0.1% amid falling business investment<\/p>\n The UK economy expanded by only 0.1% in the final three months of last year, according to official data, as falling business investment and weak consumer spending led to little momentum going into 2026. Tom Knowles has the story.<\/p>\n And Graeme Wearden has more reaction on his business live blog.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Football ‘shining example of multiculturalism’ and Ratcliffe’s comments ‘crass and insensitive’, says GMB<\/p>\n The GMB union has alos criticised Jim Ratcliffe<\/a> over his comments about immigration. The union represents workers employed by Ineos, the chemicals company set up and run by Ratcliffe. Andy Prendergast, the GMB\u2019s national secretary, said:<\/p>\n Anyone who watches football knows the beautiful game is a shining example multiculturalism; people from across the world playing in harmony.<\/p>\n In light of this, Radcliffe\u2019s crass and insensitive comments just underline how out of touch and offensive he truly is.<\/p>\n His reign at Man Utd has been marked by mass dismissals of loyal staff and chaos on the pitch.<\/p>\n Frankly, his right to comment on UK affairs should have ended the moment he sloped off to Monaco to avoid paying his taxes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>‘Inaccurate, insulting, inflammatory’ – Andy Burnham condemns Ratcliffe over UK being ‘colonised’ by migrants claim<\/p>\n Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, has joined those criticising Jim Ratcliffe<\/a> over his claim that the UK is being \u201ccolonised\u201d by immigrants.<\/p>\n Burnham said in a statement<\/a>:<\/p>\n These comments go against everything for which Manchester has traditionally stood: a place where people of all races, faiths and none have pulled together over centuries to build our city and our institutions, including Manchester United FC.<\/p>\n Calling for curbs on levels of immigration is one thing; portraying those who come here as a hostile invading force is quite another.<\/p>\n It is inaccurate, insulting, inflammatory and should be withdrawn.<\/p>\n He also suggested that Ratcliffe has been \u201csiphoning wealth\u201d out of Manchester United<\/a>, while offering \u201clittle contribution\u201d to the city.<\/p>\n Burnham’s statement Photograph: Andy BurnhamShare<\/a>Minister escalates row with \u2018hypocritical\u2019 Ratcliffe over claim UK colonised by immigrants<\/p>\n Good morning. As Joe Coughlan and Rob Davies report, last night Downing Street said that the Manchester United<\/a> co-owner Jim Ratcliffe should apologise for his comments that the UK is being \u201ccolonised\u201d by immigrants.<\/p>\n Although Ratcliffe\u2019s claim that the UK population had increased by 12m over the past five years was shockingly and absurdly inaccurate, it was still moderately surprising that Downing Street criticised Ratcliffe so quickly and so explicitly. In the past, when public figures have made anti-immigration comments, the default government response has often been to say that they have a point and that these concerns are understandable. It is too soon to know whether the Ratcliffe rebuttal is evidence of a new approach, but Morgan McSweeney, who was the PM\u2019s chief of staff until Sunday, was one of the figures in Downing Street most nervous about being seen as pro-immigration, and there is speculation that, with him out of the building, Starmer might be bolder about articulating his progressive instincts.<\/p>\n What No 10 says is important because, when the PM speaks out, ministers feel confident piling in behind. Jake Richards, the justice minister, has picked up the message. He has been doing a broadcast round this morning and he sounds like he feels licensed to escalate the attack on Ratcliffe. He told Times Radio:<\/p>\n [Ratcliffe] he certainly doesn\u2019t have to apologise for having an opinion. But personally, and I think, the prime minister thinks, that that language is offensive to so many people.<\/p>\n It is completely absurd to think that our country is being \u2018colonised\u2019, which implies some kind of invasion or taken over. That\u2019s not right at all.<\/p>\n Richards also suggested Ratcliffe was a hypocrite.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s just be very clear that Jim Ratcliffe\u2019s comments yesterday both were offensive in terms of the language used, he got his facts wrong, and there\u2019s also something that I find quite offensive, that this man who moved to Monaco to save \u00a34bn in tax is now lecturing us about immigration. There\u2019s something that I find slightly hypocritical about that.<\/p>\n It is hard to imagine Richards letting rip like this if McSweeney were still in charge in Downing Street.<\/p>\n Here is the agenda for the day.<\/p>\n 9.30am: NHS England publishes its monthly performance figures.<\/p>\n Morning: Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is due to speak to the media on a visit to a training centre in the south of England.<\/p>\n Morning: Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is visiting a Manchester hospital.<\/p>\n 11am: Angela Rayner, the former deputy PM, speaks at a night-time economy conference in Liverpool. Andy Burnham<\/a> and Steve Rotheram, the mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool city region respectively, are also speaking.<\/p>\n Morning: David Lammy, the deputy PM and justice secretary, is visiting a youth offending service in south London.<\/p>\n 11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.<\/p>\n Noon: John Swinney, Scotland\u2019s first minister, takes questions from MSPs.<\/p>\n 1.30pm: The Manchester Evening News is hosting a Gorton and Denton byelection debate.<\/p>\n And the government is publishing its representation of the people bill<\/a>, which will lower the voting age to 16.<\/p>\n If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (between 10am and 3pm), or message me on social media. I can\u2019t read all the messages BTL, but if you put \u201cAndrew\u201d in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.<\/p>\n If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X<\/a>, but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.<\/p>\n I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can\u2019t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.<\/p>\n![\"Alexandra](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Alexandra_Topping,_L.png\")
Alexandra Topping<\/p>\n![\"'The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1842.jpg\")
‘The UK has been colonised by immigrants,’ says Man United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe \u2013\u00a0videoShare<\/a>Badenoch criticises Starmer over way Chris Wormald being removed as cabinet secretary<\/p>\n