Submitted on Friday 20th February 2026
Rejected on Wednesday 25th March 2026
Current status: Rejected
Rejection code: already-happening (see below for details)
Introduce maximum waiting times for urgent NHS treatment
Require NHS England to introduce legally enforceable maximum waiting time standards for patients referred urgently for diagnostic investigations and specialist treatment where delays may impact patient safety.
Many patients across the UK, including those with urgent referrals, face long waits for diagnostic tests and specialist treatment despite serious symptoms. Delays can worsen health conditions, increase anxiety and risk preventable harm. National waiting time protections would help ensure timely and safe access to care.
You can't sign this petition because it was rejected. But you can still comment on it here at Repetition.me!
The Government e-Petitions Team gave the following reason:
There are already maximum waiting times for services commissioned by the NHS in England. We're therefore not exactly sure what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do. You can find out more here:
www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/guide-to-nhs-waiting-times-in-england
You could start a new petition explaining exactly what you'd like to see. For example, we could accept a petition calling for a specific change to the current maximum waiting times, if that's something that you'd like to see.
216.73.217.50 Sun, 21 Jun 2026 01:36:03 +0100
