NHS hip replacement waiting time (2026)

The latest figure and your options

By Saher Shodhan·Updated 31 October 2026·All guides

Home › Guides › NHS hip replacement waiting time (2026): the latest figure and your options

Latest published figure (August 2026 data, published 8 Oct 2026): 843,419 people were waiting for trauma and orthopaedic treatment in England, and 61.1% had waited under 18 weeks [1]. The median wait was about 14 weeks (13.8) [2]. NHS England reports waits by specialty, not by operation, so these figures cover all trauma and orthopaedic treatment, not hip replacements alone. The September 2026 figures are due on 12 Nov 2026 [3].

Written by Saher Shodhan. Every waiting time on this page comes from NHS England's August 2026 data, published on 8 Oct 2026, unless the sentence gives another source and date. Prices were checked against the provider's own page on the date shown. Sources are numbered at the end.

If you've been referred for a hip replacement, this page gives you the latest official figure, shows you how to look up your own hospital's wait, and explains your right to ask for a hospital with a shorter wait. For the whole trip abroad, step by step, see our hip replacement surgery abroad guide.

NHS hip replacement waiting time: the latest figure

NHS England counts the time from referral to the start of treatment, and publishes it each month by specialty. Hip replacements are counted under Trauma and Orthopaedics. These are the latest published figures, for the end of August 2026:

Measure, Trauma and Orthopaedics, England	August 2026
People waiting to start treatment	843,419
Waited under 18 weeks	61.1% (the NHS standard is 92%)
Median wait (half waited less, half waited more)	13.8 weeks
92 in 100 had waited less than	41.7 weeks
Waiting more than 52 weeks	19,741

NHS England, referral to treatment waiting times, August 2026, published 8 Oct 2026 [1] [2]. The figures leave out 4 trusts that sent no data for August 2026: Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Torbay and South Devon, University Hospitals Plymouth and Northampton General Hospital [1].

Comparing options for your own treatment? Ask us, free →

Is there a figure for hip replacements alone?

Not in the monthly statistics. The most recent figure we found for hip replacements alone is older: in a written answer to Parliament on 24 Feb 2025, the government said 31,323 patients were waiting for a hip replacement and the mean wait was 27.4 weeks [4]. Treat it as a February 2025 figure, not today's.

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What the NHS Actually Promises

The NHS says: "The maximum waiting time for non-urgent, consultant-led treatments is 18 weeks" from referral [5]. The clock starts "from when the hospital or service receives your referral letter, or when you book your first appointment through the NHS e-Referral Service" [5].

In August 2026, 61.1% of trauma and orthopaedic patients in England had waited under 18 weeks, against a standard of 92% [1]. Across all specialties, 65.2% had [1].

The NHS also says the 18-week right does not apply if "delaying the start of your treatment is in your best clinical interests" [5], for example while you stop smoking or lose weight first.

How to check your own hospital's wait

The national figure is an average across England. Your own wait depends on your hospital. My Planned Care, an NHS website, shows average waits by hospital and specialty, and says it "is updated weekly and can be viewed by anyone" [6].

Go to myplannedcare.nhs.uk and choose your region, or search by postcode.
Pick your hospital, then the specialty you were referred to. For a hip replacement this is usually Orthopaedics or Trauma and Orthopaedics.
Read two numbers: the average wait for a first outpatient appointment, and the average wait for treatment.

As an example, the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore showed an average wait of 15 weeks for orthopaedic treatment, with 8 in 10 patients treated within 25 weeks, on its My Planned Care page updated 30 Oct 2026 [7]. Your hospital's figures will differ.

Your right to choose where you are treated

In England, the NHS says: "If a GP needs to refer you for a physical or mental health condition, in most cases you have the legal right to choose the hospital or service you'd like to go to" [8]. That can include "many private hospitals if they provide services to the NHS" [8], with the NHS paying.

If you are already waiting: "You have the legal right to ask for your appointment to be moved to a different provider if you're likely to wait longer than the maximum waiting time" [8]. The hospital or integrated care board (ICB) then has to offer you other hospitals that could see you sooner [8].

What Your Options Are

1. Stay on the NHS list, and use your right to choose. NHS treatment is free. Check My Planned Care for nearby hospitals with shorter waits, and ask your GP or your hospital about moving if you are likely to wait more than 18 weeks [5] [8].

2. Pay for UK private treatment. On the providers' own pages, a hip replacement is £13,199 at Practice Plus Group (checked 31 Oct 2026) [9], and Nuffield Health's UK average guide price is £16,579 (checked 30 Oct 2026) [10]. Our guide to hip replacement cost in the UK compares each hospital's price and what it covers.

3. Travel abroad for treatment. Our guide to the best countries for hip replacement surgery sets out the checks that matter, and hip replacement in Poland covers one country in detail.

If you are on the NHS list, you do not have to come off it to look at other options. Ask your GP before you make any change to your NHS referral.

How Poland and Latvia Compare

In Poland, 3 hospitals' own price lists put a hip replacement at £5,425 to £5,891 (checked 6 Oct 2026) [11]. What each price includes differs. Our clinic price index has too few price lists from Latvia to quote a range [11]. The hip and knee price list shows each hospital's own published price and what it says is included.

Whatever the country, compare what each quote includes: the implant, nights in hospital, physiotherapy, transfers, and what happens if you need help after you are home. Flights and hotel nights come on top.

When this may not be right for you

If your hospital's wait on My Planned Care is short, NHS treatment costs nothing and keeps your surgeon and follow-up close to home. If you go abroad, any follow-up in the UK needs planning before you go. The NHS says you "should discuss your plans with a GP before making any final decisions about travel or medical arrangements" [12].

How to Check a Clinic Before You Book

Every clinic says it is the best. Before you pay a deposit, look at what the records say:

The official register. Find the clinic on its country's official register, under the legal name on the quote.
The surgeon. Get the operating surgeon's name in writing and look them up on their professional register.
The reviews. Read them, including the low-rated ones, and check which Google listing is the actual hospital.
The quote. Get it itemised in writing: the implant, nights in hospital, physiotherapy, transfers, and what is not included.
Coming home. Ask what happens if something goes wrong once you are back in the UK, and who pays.

Our 15 questions to ask a clinic cover the rest. Our guide to travel insurance for surgery abroad covers what standard policies leave out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the waiting time for a hip replacement on the NHS?

NHS England does not publish a monthly figure for hip replacements alone. In August 2026, the median wait for trauma and orthopaedic treatment in England, which includes hip replacements, was 13.8 weeks, and 61.1% of patients had waited under 18 weeks [1] [2]. A February 2025 answer to Parliament gave a mean wait of 27.4 weeks for a hip replacement [4].

How can I avoid a long NHS wait for a hip replacement?

Look up waits at hospitals near you on My Planned Care, and ask your GP to refer you to one with a shorter wait [6] [8]. If you are already waiting and likely to wait more than 18 weeks, you have the legal right to ask to move to a different provider [8].

When does the NHS waiting time start?

The NHS says your waiting time starts when the hospital receives your referral letter, or when you book your first appointment through the NHS e-Referral Service [5]. It runs until your treatment starts.

Checking a Specific Clinic

If you are on an NHS waiting list for a hip replacement and have a clinic abroad in mind, check it before you go further. Use the five checks above, and ask the clinic to answer our 15 questions in writing. If you would like help comparing your options, you can ask us, free.

Sources

NHS England, referral to treatment waiting times, August 2026, statistical press notice: table 1, Trauma and Orthopaedic Service, 843,419 waiting, 61.1% within 18 weeks; all specialties 65.2%; 92% standard; 4 trusts sent no data. Published 8 Oct 2026.
NHS England, incomplete pathways by commissioner, August 2026, national sheet, Trauma and Orthopaedic Service: median wait 13.8 weeks, 92nd percentile 41.7 weeks, 19,741 waiting more than 52 weeks (medians are estimates from grouped data). Published 8 Oct 2026.
NHS England on GOV.UK, statistics announcement, RTT waiting times for September 2026: release date 12 Nov 2026 (provisional). Checked 31 Oct 2026.
UK Parliament, written question HL4888: 31,323 waiting for a hip replacement, mean wait 27.4 weeks. Answered 24 Feb 2025.
NHS, Guide to NHS waiting times in England. Read 31 Oct 2026.
NHS, My Planned Care. Read 31 Oct 2026.
My Planned Care, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust: Orthopaedics, average wait for treatment 15 weeks, 8 in 10 within 25 weeks. Page updated 30 Oct 2026. Read 31 Oct 2026.
NHS, Your choices in the NHS. Read 31 Oct 2026.
Practice Plus Group, private patient prices: hip replacement surgery £13,199; initial consultation £145. Checked 31 Oct 2026.
Nuffield Health, hip replacement: average guide price £16,579. Checked 30 Oct 2026.
Thera Travel, clinic price index: hip replacement, Poland, £5,425 to £5,891 from 3 hospitals' own price lists, converted at the European Central Bank rate. Checked 6 Oct 2026.
NHS, Going abroad for medical treatment. Read 31 Oct 2026.

This guide is general information, not medical advice.

Clinics UK patients look at

The four with the most Google reviews among the orthopaedic clinics we hold. Each has a free page with its records.

Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, ChennaiChennai, India

KIMS-Sunshine Hospitals, BegumpetHyderabad (Begumpet), India

Yashoda Hospitals, SomajigudaHyderabad (Somajiguda, Raj Bhavan Road), India

Yashoda Hospitals, MalakpetHyderabad (Malakpet, Nalgonda X Roads), India

Written by Saher Shodhan

Saher Shodhan is the founder of Thera Travel, which publishes what the official records show about clinics abroad, each fact with the date it was checked, and answers patients' enquiries, free. More about Thera → How we write and check our guides →