The NHS in the East of England has continued to bring down waiting lists for patients during one of its busiest winters on record – thanks to early planning and improvements to productivity in patient services.

As part of the latest data published on NHS productivity – a measure comparing levels of NHS trust activity against previous months – November 2025 showed an estimated average 3.1% productivity growth across NHS trusts in the East of England, resulting in patients getting seen and treated more quickly than before.

One trust in the region, The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, saw a significant 16.8% productivity growth in November – the highest growth rate for an acute hospital trust in England for the second month running. Meanwhile, the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust saw a 9.8% productivity growth – one of the highest for an ambulance trust in the country.

Separate figures on urgent and emergency services showed demand in the region remained high, with the number of people attending A&E between November 2025 and February 2026 in the East of England’s hospitals topping 924,000. Despite this, waiting times for patients were shorter than the previous two winters as NHS planning and improvements to productivity paid off for patients.

The number of patients attending A&E in the region this winter who were admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours of arrival was at 73.8% – higher than the national average (73.6%) and well above performance in the East of England two winters ago (68.7% during 2023/24).

The number of ambulance call outs in the East of England this winter was close to 340,000 (339,343) – significantly more than in the previous two winters (313,000 in 2024/25 and 297,000 in 2023/24). Yet ambulances in the region showed good progress with response times to the most serious call outs, including strokes and heart attacks, with average Category 2 ambulance waits reduced by more than 7 minutes from last winter.

Despite high demand over winter, thanks to the hard work of staff across the region the overall waiting list in the East of England has continued to fall – decreasing to 908,000 in January 2026, a drop of 14,772 from the previous month.

Professor Edward Morris, Regional Medical Director for the NHS in the East of England, said: “The NHS in the East of England really tackled winter head-on this year.

“Through the hard work of staff, the region’s health providers continued to improve productivity and were well prepared ahead of facing some of the highest winter demand ever – meaning we’re seeing patients more quickly and waiting lists have continued to fall.

“This is evidence that the NHS is starting to turn a corner for patients, but we know there is still much more to do.

“My thanks go to staff who have showed endless dedication in managing service pressures and also members of the public across the east for supporting the NHS this winter, choosing the right services when they need help and, for those eligible, getting their vital winter jabs.”

Neill Moloney, Chief Executive of East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “I am immensely proud of the progress we’ve made in the past year. Despite the incredible demand on our services, our teams have delivered some of the strongest performance improvements in the country.

“This reflects the dedication and professionalism of our staff and volunteers, who continue to go above and beyond for the communities we serve.

“We know there is much more to do, and we remain fully committed to improving the care and experience of every patient who relies on us.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “After years of rising waiting times, patients are finally starting to see things move in the right direction – with waiting lists at their lowest level for almost three years and more people getting treated within 18 weeks.

“Despite record demand this winter, A&E and ambulance services improved – meaning patients are getting help faster when they need it most, thanks to the hard work of NHS staff, better planning and modernisation.

“But we won’t take our foot off the gas. We’ll keep cutting waiting times, backing NHS staff and making sure patients get the high-quality care they deserve.”