NHS waiting times across the UK – hospitals, services and waiting lists
NHS waiting times refer to the period patients typically wait between being referred for treatment by their GP and receiving that care from a hospital or specialist service. These waiting times can vary significantly depending on the type of treatment needed, the hospital providing care, and the town or area where patients live.
People search for NHS waiting times to understand how long they might need to wait for planned procedures, diagnostic scans, outpatient appointments or emergency care. This website helps users understand waiting times across different NHS services, hospitals and locations throughout England, using publicly available data published by NHS England.
What NHS Waiting Times UK covers
This website provides clear, accessible information on a range of NHS waiting time data for services across England.
Estimated waiting periods for routine hospital treatment, including surgery and specialist outpatient appointments
How long patients typically wait for imaging tests such as MRI scans, CT scans, ultrasound and endoscopy procedures
Data on how quickly patients are seen and treated in emergency departments
Variations in waiting times depending on which NHS trust or hospital provides care
Comparisons across different clinical specialties, procedures and geographical regions
NHS waiting times by town and area
NHS services are delivered by local hospitals and NHS trusts, which operate across different regions of England. Because of this, waiting times can vary considerably depending on location, local demand, staffing levels, and the capacity of individual services.
Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are responsible for planning and managing NHS services across larger geographical areas. Each ICB works with local hospitals, community services and GPs to coordinate care, but performance and waiting times differ from one area to another.
This site allows users to explore waiting time information by town or area, helping them understand how services perform in their local region and compare estimated waiting periods across different parts of England.
To understand how NHS waiting times differ by location, you can explore waiting times by town and area across the UK.
Types of NHS services covered
The website focuses on key categories of NHS care where waiting time data is regularly published and monitored.
Elective surgery and procedures scheduled in advance, such as hip replacements, cataract operations and hernia repairs
Appointments with hospital consultants in areas such as cardiology, dermatology, orthopaedics and gastroenterology
Waiting times for scans and tests including MRI, CT, ultrasound, X-ray and endoscopy
Access times for psychological therapies, community mental health teams and specialist mental health support
Performance data from A&E departments, including how long patients wait to be seen and treated
Most searched NHS waiting lists
NHS waiting times vary significantly by service, and some waiting lists are searched far more frequently than others. This site provides dedicated guides to the most commonly searched NHS waiting lists in England.
- ADHD assessment waiting times
- Autism assessment waiting times
- Mental health waiting times
- MRI scan waiting times
- A&E waiting times
Each guide explains the NHS pathway, typical waiting time ranges, and how waiting times vary by area.
Where the data comes from
All waiting time information on this website is sourced from published NHS England datasets, made publicly available as part of the government's commitment to transparency and open data.
- Referral-to-Treatment (RTT) statistics – monthly data showing how long patients wait from GP referral to the start of treatment for planned care
- Diagnostics waiting time reports – figures on how long patients wait for diagnostic tests and scans
- Emergency care performance data – weekly and monthly statistics on A&E waiting times and performance against national standards
Data is updated periodically in line with NHS England's publication schedule. The figures presented are averages and estimates based on the latest available information. Actual waiting times can vary depending on individual circumstances, clinical priority, and changes in local service delivery.
All data is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0, which permits public use and republication of official statistics.
Next steps
To help you understand NHS waiting times in your area, you can:
- Explore NHS waiting times by town – view estimated waiting periods for services in your local area or other regions across England
- View information about local hospitals – see how individual NHS trusts and hospitals are performing in terms of waiting times and service delivery
- Compare waiting times across different services – understand which types of care currently have longer or shorter waiting periods
This site is designed to provide clear, reliable information to help you make sense of NHS performance data and set realistic expectations when waiting for care.
Important information
This website is an independent information resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the National Health Service (NHS) or NHS England.
The site does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment recommendations. If you have concerns about your health or your position on an NHS waiting list, please contact your GP or healthcare provider directly.
All information is for general reference purposes only. Waiting times shown are estimates based on published data and may not reflect individual circumstances.
Note: Waiting times are regularly updated as new data becomes available from NHS England. The information on this site reflects the most recent published figures at the time of update.