The UK Statistics Authority wrote to Seamus Logan MP about Waiting times in England and Scotland

14 May 2026 · Penny Young, Chair, UK Statistics Authority

The letter, dated 14 May 2026, replies to correspondence of 28 April 2026. The UK Statistics Authority published it as Letter from Penny Young to Seamus Logan MP: Waiting times in England and Scotland. Below are 4 passages from the letter in the regulator's own words.

What the UK Statistics Authority wrote

“Building on this work, we published a statement on 22 April 2026 setting out our guidance on the appropriate use and interpretation of planned care waiting times statistics across the UK.”

“The statement focuses on two key issues: the limited comparability of NHS waiting times statistics between UK nations, and the potential for misleading claims where pathway‑based waiting times are interpreted as numbers of individual patients.”

“However, we have drawn the statement to the attention of the ministerial and parliamentary figures to support responsible use of these statistics going forward.”

“Given the high public interest in NHS performance, particularly during an election period, we continue to stress the importance of presenting statistics clearly, transparently and with sufficient context, in line with the OSR’s Standards for the Public Use of Statistics.”

From Penny Young, Chair, UK Statistics Authority, letter of 14 May 2026. Read the full letter.

Correspondence

• The letter it answered: Letter from Seamus Logan MP to Penny Young – waiting times in England and Scotland (28 April 2026)

More on Seamus Logan.

Receipt