The monthly data revealed a further 6.38m people awaiting treatment.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: ‘Frontline teams are continuing to work exceptionally hard under significant pressure to provide the best care they can for patients, but everyone recognises that access and waiting times are currently far from what the public have a right to expect.'

Hospitals reported A&E attendances and emergency admissions at a record 2.29m, up by 3.1% year-on-year, and 536,884, up 7.2%, respectively.

Almost three-quarters of patients (74.6%) completed A&E treatment within four hours, well down on the NHS target of 95%.

Just under 10% of patients spent 12 hours or more in A&E, slightly down on May but higher than June 2023 (7.7%).

There were 128,114 patients waiting four or more hours in A&E from decision to admission to admit to admission, the lowest since September 2023 (124,956) but with an overall performance at 74.6%, well below the 95% target.

Ambulances responded to 729,345 incidents and answered 800,288 calls to 999, more calls per day than the month before and in June 2023. However, response times for Category 1, 2 and 3 callouts were all slower than the month before.

The number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks fell by 51,583 between April and May, but the proportion within 18 weeks (59.1%) was lower than the same month last year (59.5%), against a constitutional standard of 92%. There were 3.11 million referrals waiting for longer than the constitutional standard in May.

Staff delivered 2.42m diagnostic tests and checks in May, up more than a fifth on before the pandemic (2m in May 2019).

The NHS met its 28-day cancer faster diagnosis target with more than three quarters of people receiving a definitive diagnosis or all clear within four weeks in May, and more than 209,000 people seen within the ambition.

Staff delivered over 55,000 cancer treatments in May – with more than nine in ten happening within one month (91%) and more people were seen after a GP referral than any other month on record (270,583).

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Chief executive of NHS Providers, Sir Julian Hartley said the figures underlined the ‘huge struggle' facing the new Government and health service leaders.

"It is vital that both the NHS review led by Lord Ara Darzi and the upcoming ten-year plan look at the bigger picture and the pressures facing every aspect of the health and care system- from the front door to the back door, and beyond,' Sir John said.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: "A new Government is an opportunity to transform the health service for the better and we welcome its recognition that turning around performance is not going to be quick or easy. This is going to be a long-term project and NHS leaders and their teams will require funding and support if they are to achieve key performance targets, some of which have not been hit for almost a decade.'