A line chart from the Institute for Government showing Cases waiting for a diagnostic test, by length of wait, January 2006 to August 2025. The share of patients waiting less than six weeks rose sharply to meet the six-week target by 2009 and remained high until 2020, when it dropped steeply during the pandemic. It has since partially recovered but remains well below pre-Covid levels. The proportion waiting under 13 weeks has stabilised at around 90%, also below its pre-pandemic peak.