Read Jack Serle's latest HSJi Review, which looks at performance against the 18-week target in April.

There is a sizeable range between the worst and best performers. Worryingly, some of the NHS’s largest trusts – and therefore those with most impact on the national performance – are sitting close to the bottom of the table. Read the full article here.

Latest investigations

Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust

A major inquiry into thousands of patient deaths in Essex is putting pressure on EPUT, which spent more than £3m last year on an internal team to support the process. The Lampard Inquiry, continuing into late next year, has triggered extensive documentation requests and legal demands, with recommendations expected in 2027 that may call for greater investment or governance reforms. EPUT also faces operational challenges, including long patient stays due to limited supported accommodation, and has submitted bids for two new urgent mental health units. The trust plans to redesign its community mental health workforce model and implement a first-of-its-kind electronic patient record. Financial pressures are mounting, with the inquiry adding strain to an already challenged system. EPUT’s main savings plan for 2025-26 relies on reducing temporary staffing, while increased use of the independent sector is expected.

London Ambulance Service Trust

Emergency response times are now the best they’ve been in three years, driven by record recruitment and improved performance. A new handover protocol is helping cut hospital delays, while paramedics and call handlers can now access clinical expertise to better triage patients and refer them directly to specialist or community urgent and emergency care (UEC) services. Plans are underway to expand alternatives to accident and emergency. Under new leadership, team-based working is boosting staff morale, though concerns around violence and abuse continue to grow. Meanwhile, a joint procurement project is in progress, and new technology, including electric ambulances, is being rolled out.

Stockport Foundation Trust

Stockport is deepening collaboration with Tameside and Glossop, including a joint EPR set to go live in May 2027 and a shared finance and HR structure to support savings. Leaders are piloting further integration in services and back-office functions. Persistent hospital pathway issues have affected A&E performance, but a new £34m emergency campus aims to ease pressure. A mobile MRI scanner is boosting diagnostics, while a new 40-room modular unit is restoring ENT capacity lost after an outpatient building closure. A “golden start” bundle is being introduced to improve theatre efficiency. Stockport has committed to a £43m control total, £29m in efficiencies, and a £4.2m cut in agency spend.

Data

• Main Location of Acute,Sp,Com,MH,Amb, PP, Wales for Q1 2025-26
• Number Details of Acute,Sp,Com,MH,Amb for Q1 2025-26
• Telephone Number of Acute,Sp,Com,MH,Amb, PP, Wales, Scotland for Q1 2025-26
• Leadership, Website Address, Workforce, Link to Quality Accounts, Post-tax Profit, Turnover, Annual Report of PP for 2023-24
• About the board link, Board paper link of Wales, Scotland for Q1 2025-26