Latest published figure (August 2026 data, published 8 Oct 2026): 843,419 people were waiting for trauma and orthopaedic treatment in England, 61.1% within 18 weeks, and 53,980 were waiting for neurosurgery, 62.0% within 18 weeks [1]. Spinal surgery is not a separate specialty in NHS England's statistics: spinal operations are counted under the specialty of the team treating you, such as trauma and orthopaedics or neurosurgery. 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.
Latest NHS waiting figures for spinal surgery
NHS England counts the time from referral to the start of treatment, and publishes it each month by specialty. These are the two specialties that carry most spinal surgery, at the end of August 2026:
| England, August 2026 | Trauma and Orthopaedics | Neurosurgery |
|---|---|---|
| People waiting to start treatment | 843,419 | 53,980 |
| Waited under 18 weeks (the NHS standard is 92%) | 61.1% | 62.0% |
| Median wait (half waited less, half waited more) | 13.8 weeks | 13.4 weeks |
| 92 in 100 had waited less than | 41.7 weeks | 39.4 weeks |
| Waiting more than 52 weeks | 19,741 | 788 |
NHS England, referral to treatment waiting times, August 2026, published 8 Oct 2026 [1] [2]. The figures cover every patient in each specialty, not spinal surgery alone, and leave out 4 trusts that sent no data for August 2026 [1].
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How to check your hospital's wait
The national figures are averages across England. 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" [4]. Some hospitals list Spinal Surgery as its own specialty there.
- Go to myplannedcare.nhs.uk and choose your region, or search by postcode.
- Pick your hospital, then the specialty on your referral letter: Spinal Surgery where it is listed, otherwise Orthopaedics, Trauma and Orthopaedics or Neurosurgery.
- 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 listed Spinal Surgery with an average wait of 18 weeks for a first outpatient appointment and 21 weeks for treatment, with 8 in 10 patients treated within 34 weeks, on its page updated 30 Oct 2026 [5]. My Planned Care says the average is "the average (mean) wait of all patients in this specialty" at that hospital [5]. Your hospital's figures will differ.
Your right to choose where you are treated
The NHS says: "The maximum waiting time for non-urgent, consultant-led treatments is 18 weeks" from referral [6]. It also 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" [7].
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" [7]. The hospital or integrated care board (ICB) then has to offer you other hospitals that could see you sooner [7]. Check the waits at each hospital on My Planned Care before you ask to move.
Self-pay in the UK and abroad
These are the spinal surgery prices we found on UK providers' own pages:
| Provider | Operation, as the provider names it | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice Plus Group | Slipped disc surgery | £8,399 | 31 Oct 2026 [8] |
| Practice Plus Group | Spinal decompression surgery | £8,849 | 31 Oct 2026 [8] |
| Practice Plus Group | Anterior cervical discectomy fusion | £14,400 | 31 Oct 2026 [8] |
| Spire Healthcare, 16 hospitals | Back surgery (slipped disc), lower back | from £9,220 to £11,624 | 6 Oct 2026 [9] |
| Nuffield Health, 25 hospitals | Slipped disc removal, lower back | £9,506 to £12,947 (guide prices) | 6 Oct 2026 [10] |
Providers' own price pages, checked on the dates shown [8] [9] [10]. Practice Plus Group charges £145 for the first consultation on top [8]. Each provider says the final price is confirmed after a consultation.
Abroad, five Polish hospitals' own price lists put a lumbar discectomy (slipped disc operation) at £2,703 to £4,278 (checked 6 Oct 2026) [11]. Our price index has too few price lists for spinal fusion to quote a range. Flights, hotel nights and anything a package leaves out come on top.
For scoliosis correction, see our scoliosis surgery cost guide. For fusion abroad, see spinal fusion cost in Poland and the countries UK patients choose for spinal surgery.
When this may not be right for you
If your hospital's wait is short, NHS treatment costs nothing and keeps your spinal team 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], and that "the NHS is not liable for negligence or failure of treatment" abroad [12].
How to check a clinic before you book
- The clinic's register entry. Find the clinic on its country's official register, under the legal name printed on your quote.
- The surgeon, by name. Get your surgeon's name in writing and look them up on their professional register. Ask how many of your operation they perform each year.
- The reviews, including the low-rated ones. Check which Google listing is the actual hospital, then read what spinal patients say.
- An itemised quote. Get it in writing, including implants, nights in hospital, physiotherapy, and what is not included.
- A plan for problems at 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 set these out in full, and our guide to travel insurance for surgery abroad covers what standard policies leave out.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a waiting list for spinal fusion surgery?
Yes. Spinal fusion on the NHS is planned treatment, so you join the waiting list for the specialty treating you, such as trauma and orthopaedics or neurosurgery. In August 2026, 61.1% of trauma and orthopaedic patients and 62.0% of neurosurgery patients in England had waited under 18 weeks [1].
What are the typical waiting times for spinal surgery?
NHS England does not publish waits for spinal surgery alone. In August 2026 the median wait was 13.8 weeks in trauma and orthopaedics and 13.4 weeks in neurosurgery [2]. Hospital waits vary: at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital the average wait for spinal surgery treatment was 21 weeks on 30 Oct 2026 [5].
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; Neurosurgical Service 53,980 waiting, 62.0% within 18 weeks; 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 13.8 weeks, 92nd percentile 41.7 weeks, 19,741 over 52 weeks; Neurosurgical Service median 13.4 weeks, 92nd percentile 39.4 weeks, 788 over 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.
- NHS, My Planned Care. Read 31 Oct 2026.
- My Planned Care, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust: Spinal Surgery, average wait 18 weeks for a first outpatient appointment and 21 weeks for treatment, 8 in 10 treated within 34 weeks. Page updated 30 Oct 2026. Read 31 Oct 2026.
- NHS, Guide to NHS waiting times in England. Read 31 Oct 2026.
- NHS, Your choices in the NHS. Read 31 Oct 2026.
- Practice Plus Group, private patient prices: slipped disc surgery £8,399, spinal decompression surgery £8,849, anterior cervical discectomy fusion £14,400, initial consultation £145. Checked 31 Oct 2026.
- Spire Healthcare, back surgery (slipped disc) price pages, lowest Spire Leicester and highest Spire Dunedin of 16 hospitals: from £9,220 to £11,624. Checked 6 Oct 2026.
- Nuffield Health, hospital price lists, lowest Derby and highest Ipswich of 25 hospitals: slipped disc removal, lower back, £9,506 to £12,947. Checked 6 Oct 2026.
- Thera Travel, clinic price index: lumbar discectomy, Poland, 5 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.
Related: NHS scoliosis surgery waiting times, NHS knee replacement waiting times, NHS hip replacement waiting times, orthopaedic surgery abroad.
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 →
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