New figures show the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) is outperforming the national average, but has declined over the last seven months.
According to the latest NHS data, as of April 2025, 67.8 per cent of patients referred to County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust were seen within 18 weeks.
While this marks a decline from 69.3 per cent in November 2024, the Trust still ranks above the England-wide average of 59.7 per cent.
Darlington Memorial Hospital (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) Nationally, the NHS have set a target of 92 per cent of patients should be treated within 18 weeks; a standard that hasn’t been met since 2015.
In the short term, the government is aiming for a more modest 65 per cent by March 2026.
However, NHS England has tasked each trust with hitting specific benchmarks based on their November 2024 baseline.
In Darlington and County Durham, that means reaching 74.3 per cent by March 2026; a target that places the Trust in the higher performance tier.
In a statement, a spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are committed to improving access to care and ensuring patients have a positive experience.
“While the Trust is currently performing above the national average, we recognise the importance of meeting the 74.3 per cent target and are working hard to achieve this across the 2025/26 operating year.”
A Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS sign (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) The Trust also highlighted the balancing act it faces in prioritising patients with urgent and complex needs while still addressing long waits for routine elective care.
“We continue to prioritise patients based on clinical need, balancing urgent and emergency care, cancer treatment and elective care for those waiting beyond national standards,” the spokesperson added.
“We’re making the most of our clinic and theatre space and making sure people see the right specialist first to help reduce delays.”
To support patients awaiting surgery, CDDFT say it has launched its “Waiting Well” programme, providing mental and physical health resources to help patients prepare for treatment.
The figures for other North East trusts reveal a mixed landscape, but most are making slow progress toward their own March 2026 targets.
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South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust reported a small uptick, moving from 60 per cent in November 2024 to 61 per cent in April 2025.
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust is faring better, improving from 71.5 per cent to 73.8 per cent during the same period.
Meanwhile, the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust has seen one of the most notable improvements, climbing from 68.4 per cent to 72.6 per cent.