In July 2025 NHSE started publishing new data alongside the existing monthly Referral to Treatment Waiting Times data that showed that people from deprived communities and minority backgrounds are more likely to be waiting longer than 18 weeks for care than other groups.19 NHSE told us that one of the challenges it faces is ensuring equity of access and that it is working on addressing access needs in a sensitive fashion that takes inequalities and other factors into account.20 NHSE also told us that it is asking all local systems to make sure that they examine the data to understand what is driving differences. One example of a factor that may create inequalities, is when working parents are offered appointments that take place when they need to take their children to school and so more flexibility in appointment timing may be required.21 Planning for outpatients transformation