State IntegrityReceipts, not verdicts
Menu

News

Levels of power
World
Fact checks
Economy and money
Public services
Parliament and politics
Places
Data and tools

How we workEmail alertsRequest a check

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board

integrated care board · England · code QYG

This page reports published statistics; it is not medical advice and does not rate the trust.

NHS England counted 340,941 referral-to-treatment pathways waiting at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board at the end of August 2026. That is down 7% from 365,564 in August 2025.

At the end of August 2026, 65.9% of the pathways waiting at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board had been waiting under 18 weeks, according to NHS England. That is 7.5 percentage points higher than in August 2025 (58.4%). It is the highest figure in the 13 periods shown here. That is 26.1 points below the 92% the standard sets out.

In August 2026, 77.0% of patients on the 62-day cancer pathway at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board started treatment within 62 days, NHS England reports. That is 0.5 percentage points higher than in April 2025 (76.5%). That is 8.0 points below the 85% the standard sets out.

At the end of August 2026, 13.8% of the people on the diagnostic waiting list at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board had been waiting six weeks or more, NHS England reports. That is 0.4 percentage points lower than in August 2025 (14.2%).

Planned care waiting times

Waiting list (referral to treatment)
340,941
August 2026 · NHS England
Incomplete pathways: a person waiting for two treatments counts twice.
Waiting under 18 weeks
65.9%
August 2026 · NHS England
Standard: NHS England reports waiting times against the 92% standard: 92% of patients waiting to start treatment should have waited less than 18 weeks. Source
Waiting more than 52 weeks
4,266
August 2026 · NHS England
367k329k August 2025August 2026
65.9%0.0% August 2025August 2026
14k3,644 August 2025August 2026
Waiting list (referral to treatment)
August 2025365,564
September 2025367,415
October 2025367,494
November 2025355,626
December 2025349,685
January 2026346,862
February 2026343,407
March 2026328,555
April 2026331,150
May 2026334,293
June 2026336,107
July 2026336,865
August 2026340,941
Waiting under 18 weeks
August 202558.4%
September 202559.2%
October 202559.4%
November 202559.1%
December 202558.7%
January 202658.8%
February 202660.7%
March 202664.5%
April 202664.7%
May 202665.2%
June 202665.6%
July 202665.7%
August 202665.9%
Waiting more than 52 weeks
August 202514,273
September 202513,153
October 202511,953
November 202510,353
December 20258,379
January 20267,708
February 20266,464
March 20263,644
April 20263,786
May 20264,092
June 20264,166
July 20264,245
August 20264,266

Cancer waiting times

Cancer: told within 28 days (Faster Diagnosis Standard)
74.1%
August 2026 · NHS England
Standard: NHS England: the operational standard is that 80% of people are told they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out, within 28 days of an urgent referral. Source
Cancer: treated within 31 days of decision to treat
97.7%
August 2026 · NHS England
Standard: NHS England: the operational standard is that 96% of people begin treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat. Source
Cancer: treated within 62 days
77.0%
August 2026 · NHS England
Standard: NHS England: the operational standard is that 85% of people begin first definitive treatment within 62 days. Source
81.3%0.0% April 2025August 2026
97.7%0.0% April 2025August 2026
79.9%0.0% April 2025August 2026
Cancer: told within 28 days (Faster Diagnosis Standard)
April 202575.3%
May 202571.9%
June 202573.8%
July 202571.8%
August 202570.4%
September 202570.7%
October 202573.7%
November 202574.9%
December 202575.4%
January 202671.6%
February 202680.7%
March 202681.3%
April 202677.2%
May 202678.9%
June 202676.8%
July 202677.2%
August 202674.1%
Cancer: treated within 31 days of decision to treat
April 202594.6%
May 202595.4%
June 202595.4%
July 202595.1%
August 202595.0%
September 202593.8%
October 202594.4%
November 202594.1%
December 202595.2%
January 202693.6%
February 202695.8%
March 202695.7%
April 202694.6%
May 202694.9%
June 202696.3%
July 202695.7%
August 202697.7%
Cancer: treated within 62 days
April 202576.5%
May 202575.5%
June 202574.3%
July 202576.0%
August 202575.8%
September 202572.8%
October 202572.3%
November 202574.0%
December 202575.0%
January 202671.4%
February 202673.7%
March 202679.9%
April 202676.9%
May 202674.4%
June 202676.7%
July 202676.2%
August 202677.0%

Diagnostic tests

Waiting six weeks or more for a diagnostic test
13.8%
August 2026 · NHS England
Standard: NHS England: the operational standard is that less than 1% of patients should wait six weeks or more for a diagnostic test. Source
Diagnostic waiting list
79,186
August 2026 · NHS England
14.2%0.0% August 2025August 2026
82k70k August 2025August 2026
Waiting six weeks or more for a diagnostic test
August 202514.2%
September 202512.4%
October 20259.5%
November 20259.2%
December 202510.2%
January 202610.7%
February 20267.1%
March 20269.8%
April 202613.0%
May 202612.4%
June 202612.2%
July 202613.2%
August 202613.8%
Diagnostic waiting list
August 202574,546
September 202574,131
October 202574,285
November 202572,035
December 202570,840
January 202670,137
February 202676,416
March 202682,190
April 202679,972
May 202679,206
June 202680,276
July 202681,592
August 202679,186

Comparing the UK nations

England measures planned-care waits from referral to treatment against an 18-week standard, and diagnostic waits against six weeks. Scotland and Wales measure differently, so their figures are not directly comparable (NHS England notes that each UK country has its own targets and standards).

Local areas

Council areas linked to this organisation: Cheshire East · Cheshire West and Chester · Halton · Knowsley · Liverpool · Sefton · St. Helens · Warrington · Wirral

Where NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board sits in the ladder of power

The bodies above NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board and the council areas it serves. How the ten levels work.

  1. Level 4: County councils, combined authorities and metro mayors

    • NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board this page

  2. Level 6: National government

  3. Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies

  4. Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies

  5. Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance

    • International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
    • World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.

  6. Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums

    • G7 The UK is one of the seven members.
    • G20 The UK is a G20 member.

Related figures

NHS waiting list (England) · NHS employment

Sources

NHS trusts and health boards · how these figures are presented · built 15 October 2026