General surgery waiting times by trust
Hernias, gallbladders and other abdominal operations. 386,359 people were waiting in England at the end of September 2026, with a median wait so far of 12.8 weeks. Every NHS trust, shortest median wait first.
NHS waiting times · General surgery
England, September 2026
386,359
waiting in England
down 7,932 (2.0%) on a year earlier
12.8 wk
median wait so far
down 0.6 weeks on a year earlier
63.9%
under 18 weeks
17.0 wk
median wait of people admitted
in September 2026
Every NHS trust
111 trusts with at least 50 people waiting, shortest median wait first. Select a column heading to sort.
median wait, in weeks (scale 0 to 40)England's median for the same specialty
| Trust | Waiting | Median wait, weeks | Against England's median | Under 18 weeks | Over a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateshead HealthNorth East and North Cumbria | 2,305 | 6.3 | 91.2% | 0 | |
| Royal MarsdenWest and North London | 145 | 6.5 | 90.3% | 0 | |
| AiredaleWest Yorkshire | 1,714 | 6.6 | 82.7% | 4 | |
| Wirral University Teaching HospitalCheshire and Merseyside | 334 | 6.8 | 91.3% | 0 | |
| South Tyneside and SunderlandNorth East and North Cumbria | 4,698 | 7.4 | 84.9% | 0 | |
| University Hospitals DorsetDorset | 514 | 7.5 | 82.3% | 6 | |
| Tameside and Glossop Integrated CareGreater Manchester | 1,320 | 8.0 | 77.7% | 0 | |
| Frimley HealthSurrey and Sussex | 440 | 8.2 | 87.7% | 0 | |
| Northumbria HealthcareNorth East and North Cumbria | 6,714 | 8.7 | 92.1% | 0 | |
| United Lincolnshire Teaching HospitalsLincolnshire | 4,038 | 9.1 | 82.5% | 20 | |
| Harrogate and DistrictHumber and North Yorkshire | 2,286 | 9.6 | 74.2% | 0 | |
| Calderdale and HuddersfieldWest Yorkshire | 5,526 | 9.7 | 73.3% | 0 | |
| Barnsley HospitalSouth Yorkshire | 2,004 | 9.8 | 67.5% | 21 | |
| Bradford Teaching HospitalsWest Yorkshire | 393 | 9.9 | 68.2% | 0 | |
| East Sussex HealthcareSurrey and Sussex | 4,414 | 9.9 | 74.4% | 16 | |
| Leeds Teaching HospitalsWest Yorkshire | 1,796 | 10.1 | 77.2% | 0 | |
| Royal SurreySurrey and Sussex | 3,290 | 10.1 | 79.0% | 7 | |
| Royal WolverhamptonBlack Country | 1,408 | 10.1 | 67.8% | 14 | |
| Royal BerkshireThames Valley | 2,850 | 10.2 | 82.4% | 0 | |
| Maidstone and Tunbridge WellsKent and Medway | 5,847 | 10.3 | 71.4% | 0 | |
| Newcastle upon Tyne HospitalsNorth East and North Cumbria | 843 | 10.3 | 70.8% | 17 | |
| Ashford and St Peter's HospitalsSurrey and Sussex | 362 | 10.6 | 80.4% | 7 | |
| BoltonGreater Manchester | 4,321 | 10.7 | 68.4% | 7 | |
| Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching HospitalsSouth Yorkshire | 4,285 | 10.7 | 69.4% | 6 | |
| Lewisham and GreenwichSouth East London | 6,266 | 10.8 | 69.9% | 119 | |
| Shrewsbury and Telford HospitalShropshire, Telford and Wrekin | 5,134 | 10.8 | 72.2% | 0 | |
| BristolBristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire | 681 | 11.2 | 75.5% | 1 | |
| SomersetSomerset | 2,539 | 11.3 | 67.8% | 70 | |
| Kettering General HospitalNorthamptonshire | 2,032 | 11.5 | 70.2% | 12 | |
| James Paget University HospitalsNorfolk and Suffolk | 3,267 | 11.6 | 68.7% | 22 | |
| East Lancashire HospitalsLancashire and South Cumbria | 3,025 | 11.7 | 66.0% | 0 | |
| North Cheshire and MerseyCheshire and Merseyside | 734 | 11.8 | 75.7% | 6 | |
| South Tees HospitalsNorth East and North Cumbria | 2,000 | 11.8 | 69.6% | 11 | |
| Barts HealthNorth East London | 4,768 | 11.9 | 67.9% | 40 | |
| Princess Alexandra HospitalEssex | 4,061 | 12.0 | 67.8% | 53 | |
| StockportGreater Manchester | 3,494 | 12.0 | 64.7% | 4 | |
| Countess of Chester HospitalCheshire and Merseyside | 1,048 | 12.1 | 67.8% | 1 | |
| George Eliot HospitalCoventry and Warwickshire | 1,247 | 12.2 | 62.9% | 4 | |
| Oxford University HospitalsThames Valley | 1,741 | 12.3 | 69.6% | 28 | |
| Royal Devon University HealthcareDevon | 810 | 12.4 | 62.7% | 23 | |
| Homerton HealthcareNorth East London | 2,210 | 12.5 | 64.5% | 5 | |
| Whittington HealthWest and North London | 4,179 | 12.5 | 65.2% | 69 | |
| East and North Hertfordshire TeachingCentral East | 2,276 | 12.7 | 67.9% | 12 | |
| Mid Yorkshire TeachingWest Yorkshire | 1,830 | 12.7 | 66.6% | 5 | |
| University Hospitals BirminghamBirmingham and Solihull | 4,586 | 12.7 | 65.7% | 8 | |
| SalisburyBath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | 1,223 | 12.8 | 65.3% | 4 | |
| University Hospitals of LeicesterLeicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | 6,289 | 12.8 | 67.4% | 114 | |
| Wye ValleyHerefordshire and Worcestershire | 961 | 12.8 | 64.6% | 11 | |
| London North West University HealthcareWest and North London | 3,171 | 12.9 | 65.6% | 7 | |
| Sandwell and West Birmingham HospitalsBlack Country | 4,583 | 12.9 | 65.3% | 30 | |
| University Hospitals of North MidlandsStaffordshire and Stoke-On-Trent | 10,135 | 12.9 | 60.7% | 385 | |
| Epsom and St Helier University HospitalsSouth West London | 3,078 | 13.0 | 63.7% | 48 | |
| South Warwickshire UniversityCoventry and Warwickshire | 1,423 | 13.0 | 66.0% | 37 | |
| East Kent Hospitals UniversityKent and Medway | 8,485 | 13.2 | 59.6% | 475 | |
| MedwayKent and Medway | 1,079 | 13.2 | 66.5% | 3 | |
| University Hospital SouthamptonHampshire and Isle of Wight | 792 | 13.2 | 63.6% | 54 | |
| County Durham and DarlingtonNorth East and North Cumbria | 6,697 | 13.3 | 60.0% | 262 | |
| East CheshireCheshire and Merseyside | 1,231 | 13.4 | 64.8% | 16 | |
| Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching HospitalsCheshire and Merseyside | 6,555 | 13.4 | 61.7% | 186 | |
| Portsmouth Hospitals UniversityHampshire and Isle of Wight | 5,377 | 13.4 | 63.1% | 156 | |
| University College London HospitalsWest and North London | 96 | 13.4 | 71.9% | 0 | |
| Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's LynnNorfolk and Suffolk | 1,451 | 13.5 | 61.3% | 7 | |
| North West AngliaCentral East | 6,031 | 13.6 | 61.6% | 28 | |
| Croydon Health ServicesSouth West London | 2,118 | 13.9 | 61.7% | 15 | |
| Isle of WightHampshire and Isle of Wight | 654 | 13.9 | 56.0% | 11 | |
| Manchester UniversityGreater Manchester | 5,529 | 13.9 | 61.2% | 31 | |
| Northern Lincolnshire and GooleHumber and North Yorkshire | 5,883 | 13.9 | 58.5% | 134 | |
| Norfolk and Norwich University HospitalsNorfolk and Suffolk | 4,453 | 14.1 | 59.4% | 104 | |
| Royal United Hospitals BathBath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | 3,764 | 14.1 | 64.6% | 23 | |
| University Hospitals Coventry and WarwickshireCoventry and Warwickshire | 8,094 | 14.1 | 61.3% | 329 | |
| Buckinghamshire HealthcareThames Valley | 2,675 | 14.3 | 59.0% | 3 | |
| RotherhamSouth Yorkshire | 1,806 | 14.3 | 59.6% | 42 | |
| University Hospitals of Derby and BurtonDerby and Derbyshire | 4,727 | 14.3 | 60.1% | 190 | |
| Chelsea and Westminster HospitalWest and North London | 4,354 | 14.4 | 60.2% | 134 | |
| Great Western HospitalsBath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | 4,505 | 14.4 | 59.8% | 107 | |
| Sherwood Forest HospitalsNottingham and Nottinghamshire | 4,378 | 14.4 | 57.7% | 65 | |
| Dartford and GraveshamKent and Medway | 7,524 | 14.5 | 58.2% | 389 | |
| North Tees and HartlepoolNorth East and North Cumbria | 2,609 | 14.5 | 60.3% | 29 | |
| Walsall HealthcareBlack Country | 1,728 | 14.5 | 57.7% | 0 | |
| Hull University Teaching HospitalsHumber and North Yorkshire | 7,927 | 14.6 | 57.8% | 295 | |
| Kingston and RichmondSouth West London | 1,311 | 14.6 | 59.3% | 2 | |
| Royal Cornwall HospitalsCornwall and the Isles of Scilly | 1,933 | 14.7 | 57.4% | 24 | |
| Imperial College HealthcareWest and North London | 2,332 | 14.8 | 58.3% | 2 | |
| Hillingdon HospitalsWest and North London | 1,443 | 14.9 | 60.3% | 3 | |
| Barking, Havering and Redbridge University HospitalsNorth East London | 7,301 | 15.0 | 58.7% | 202 | |
| Mid Cheshire HospitalsCheshire and Merseyside | 1,130 | 15.0 | 59.6% | 19 | |
| Surrey and Sussex HealthcareSurrey and Sussex | 1,294 | 15.1 | 58.6% | 146 | |
| Cambridge University HospitalsCentral East | 1,528 | 15.2 | 56.4% | 15 | |
| Worcestershire Acute HospitalsHerefordshire and Worcestershire | 5,202 | 15.4 | 56.9% | 5 | |
| Guy's and St Thomas'South East London | 1,653 | 15.5 | 57.5% | 1 | |
| West SuffolkNorfolk and Suffolk | 1,911 | 16.0 | 55.5% | 30 | |
| Bedfordshire HospitalsCentral East | 4,193 | 16.1 | 55.1% | 35 | |
| Mid and South EssexEssex | 9,222 | 16.5 | 52.7% | 976 | |
| East Suffolk and North EssexEssex | 6,928 | 16.8 | 53.3% | 45 | |
| West Hertfordshire Teaching HospitalsCentral East | 3,493 | 17.0 | 53.3% | 65 | |
| Lancashire Teaching HospitalsLancashire and South Cumbria | 224 | 17.7 | 50.9% | 0 | |
| North Cumbria Integrated CareNorth East and North Cumbria | 1,170 | 17.7 | 50.8% | 37 | |
| Dudley GroupBlack Country | 3,373 | 18.1 | 49.9% | 2 | |
| Liverpool University HospitalsCheshire and Merseyside | 2,379 | 18.5 | 49.3% | 33 | |
| University Hospitals of Morecambe BayLancashire and South Cumbria | 2,387 | 18.9 | 48.6% | 91 | |
| Northern Care AllianceGreater Manchester | 5,745 | 19.1 | 48.3% | 512 | |
| Dorset County HospitalDorset | 1,441 | 19.3 | 48.1% | 15 | |
| Milton Keynes University HospitalCentral East | 2,300 | 19.4 | 47.6% | 83 | |
| St George's University HospitalsSouth West London | 1,210 | 19.4 | 48.0% | 62 | |
| Hampshire HospitalsHampshire and Isle of Wight | 2,820 | 19.8 | 46.6% | 116 | |
| Royal Free LondonWest and North London | 4,179 | 19.9 | 45.4% | 167 | |
| Blackpool Teaching HospitalsLancashire and South Cumbria | 1,357 | 20.1 | 44.8% | 32 | |
| Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching HospitalsGreater Manchester | 2,109 | 20.8 | 44.6% | 157 | |
| King's College HospitalSouth East London | 4,729 | 23.3 | 39.9% | 376 | |
| University Hospitals SussexSurrey and Sussex | 2,828 | 25.1 | 38.0% | 382 | |
| Chesterfield Royal HospitalDerby and Derbyshire | 1,287 | 26.1 | 41.5% | 145 |
The last 13 months in England
September 2025 to September 2026.
The figures
| Month | Value |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | 394,291 |
| October 2025 | 392,001 |
| November 2025 | 381,777 |
| December 2025 | 386,066 |
| January 2026 | 386,565 |
| February 2026 | 385,499 |
| March 2026 | 376,693 |
| April 2026 | 382,295 |
| May 2026 | 382,013 |
| June 2026 | 382,851 |
| July 2026 | 383,577 |
| August 2026 | 384,914 |
| September 2026 | 386,359 |
The figures
| Month | Value |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | 13.4 wk |
| October 2025 | 13.5 wk |
| November 2025 | 13.3 wk |
| December 2025 | 14.0 wk |
| January 2026 | 14.2 wk |
| February 2026 | 13.9 wk |
| March 2026 | 12.1 wk |
| April 2026 | 12.7 wk |
| May 2026 | 13.3 wk |
| June 2026 | 13.1 wk |
| July 2026 | 12.6 wk |
| August 2026 | 12.8 wk |
| September 2026 | 12.8 wk |
Independent hospitals on the NHS
Some independent hospitals treat NHS patients, free to the patient, and you may be able to choose one when you're referred. These are the 25 with the most NHS patients waiting for general surgery.
| Hospital or provider | NHS patients waiting | Median wait, weeks | Under 18 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckshaw HospitalLancashire and South Cumbria | 1,115 | 7.8 | 79.6% |
| London Independent HospitalNorth East London | 924 | 6.9 | 85.2% |
| The One Health Group PlcSouth Yorkshire | 769 | 7.5 | 86.9% |
| Euxton Hall HospitalLancashire and South Cumbria | 716 | 8.1 | 82.1% |
| Practice Plus Group Hospital - SouthamptonHampshire and Isle of Wight | 677 | 8.9 | 79.2% |
| Ppg Hospitals - IlfordNorth East London | 667 | 12.0 | 66.0% |
| Oaklands HospitalGreater Manchester | 639 | 8.2 | 84.8% |
| Rivers HospitalCentral East | 618 | 10.6 | 72.8% |
| Springfield HospitalEssex | 610 | 13.2 | 67.9% |
| Fulwood Hall HospitalLancashire and South Cumbria | 598 | 7.2 | 86.5% |
| Three Shires HospitalNorthamptonshire | 569 | 11.7 | 67.1% |
| Tees Valley HospitalNorth East and North Cumbria | 565 | 8.3 | 85.3% |
| Spire London EastNorth East London | 547 | 13.6 | 66.4% |
| Spire Liverpool HospitalCheshire and Merseyside | 528 | 8.5 | 86.2% |
| The Yorkshire ClinicWest Yorkshire | 517 | 11.1 | 67.3% |
| Fitzwilliam HospitalCentral East | 488 | 13.7 | 58.2% |
| Spire Hull and East Riding HospitalHumber and North Yorkshire | 482 | 15.9 | 53.9% |
| Spire Regency HospitalCheshire and Merseyside | 466 | 10.2 | 76.8% |
| Nuffield Health the Holly HospitalEssex | 459 | 11.6 | 69.7% |
| Cobalt HospitalNorth East and North Cumbria | 454 | 12.4 | 62.8% |
| Stourside HospitalBlack Country | 448 | 8.5 | 78.6% |
| Spencer Private Hospitals LtdKent and Medway | 444 | 10.9 | 66.9% |
| Spire Fylde Coast HospitalLancashire and South Cumbria | 439 | 8.6 | 78.1% |
| Sulis Hospital Bath (Foxcote Avenue)Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | 434 | 13.7 | 62.4% |
| Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre - St Marys PortsmouthHampshire and Isle of Wight | 417 | 5.3 | 94.7% |
By area
NHS integrated care board areas, by where the hospital trust is.
| Area | Waiting | Median wait, weeks | Under 18 weeks | Over a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | 10,663 | 13.4 | 64.1% | 134 |
| Birmingham and Solihull | 5,266 | 12.4 | 67.3% | 9 |
| Black Country | 11,673 | 14.0 | 60.6% | 47 |
| Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire | 1,011 | 9.6 | 80.5% | 1 |
| Central East | 22,609 | 14.6 | 59.1% | 287 |
| Cheshire and Merseyside | 15,435 | 13.0 | 64.3% | 265 |
| Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | 2,509 | 13.1 | 62.5% | 24 |
| Coventry and Warwickshire | 11,219 | 13.4 | 63.0% | 374 |
| Derby and Derbyshire | 6,110 | 15.3 | 56.4% | 335 |
| Devon | 1,529 | 12.9 | 64.9% | 43 |
| Dorset | 2,045 | 15.3 | 58.0% | 21 |
| Essex | 22,320 | 15.4 | 56.5% | 1,104 |
| Gloucestershire | 209 | 12.8 | 63.6% | 4 |
| Greater Manchester | 24,211 | 13.5 | 60.9% | 711 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 10,828 | 13.7 | 60.7% | 339 |
| Herefordshire and Worcestershire | 6,590 | 14.4 | 59.9% | 16 |
| Humber and North Yorkshire | 16,822 | 13.4 | 60.5% | 429 |
| Kent and Medway | 24,231 | 12.5 | 63.4% | 870 |
| Lancashire and South Cumbria | 10,454 | 12.4 | 63.3% | 152 |
| Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | 6,370 | 12.8 | 67.4% | 115 |
| Lincolnshire | 4,199 | 9.2 | 81.9% | 21 |
| Norfolk and Suffolk | 11,465 | 13.5 | 61.9% | 163 |
| North East London | 16,417 | 13.0 | 64.2% | 263 |
| North East and North Cumbria | 28,966 | 10.0 | 75.7% | 367 |
| Northamptonshire | 3,177 | 11.2 | 70.3% | 17 |
| Nottingham and Nottinghamshire | 4,878 | 13.9 | 59.3% | 70 |
| Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin | 5,189 | 10.7 | 72.3% | 0 |
| Somerset | 2,800 | 11.2 | 68.6% | 71 |
| South East London | 12,968 | 14.5 | 57.8% | 496 |
| South West London | 8,246 | 13.8 | 61.8% | 127 |
| South Yorkshire | 9,295 | 11.0 | 67.8% | 84 |
| Staffordshire and Stoke-On-Trent | 10,620 | 12.8 | 61.3% | 389 |
| Surrey and Sussex | 13,935 | 12.0 | 66.8% | 593 |
| Thames Valley | 7,794 | 11.3 | 71.5% | 35 |
| West Yorkshire | 12,638 | 9.6 | 74.8% | 14 |
| West and North London | 21,668 | 13.9 | 60.9% | 386 |
Use these figures
Free to quote and reuse, for journalists, researchers and AI agents. Please credit "Thera Travel, from NHS England data" and link to theratravel.co.uk/nhs-waiting-times. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS England, Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- All figures as JSON (England, every specialty, area and trust)
- All figures as CSV (one row per hospital trust or provider and specialty)
- A plain-text summary in Markdown, for AI assistants
- One trust:
/nhs-waiting-times/<trust>.json, the trust list is in the JSON above
Source: NHS England, Referral to Treatment waiting times, September 2026 (published November 2026). Next figures expected 10 December 2026. Journalists: press page.
Questions
How long is the NHS wait for general surgery?
At the end of September 2026, 386,359 people were waiting for general surgery in England. Half had waited more than 12.8 weeks so far, 63.9% under 18 weeks and 8,376 over a year. People admitted for treatment that month had waited a median of 17.0 weeks. Source: NHS England.
Which hospital trusts have the shortest general surgery waits?
In September 2026, the shortest median waits among trusts with at least 50 people waiting were at Gateshead Health (6.3 weeks), Royal Marsden (6.5 weeks), Airedale (6.6 weeks). The table on this page lists every trust.
Can I choose a hospital with a shorter wait?
The NHS says you should be offered a choice at the point of referral, and in many cases you can choose the hospital or service, including some independent hospitals that treat NHS patients. See "Your choices in the NHS" and ask your GP.
Looking at treatment abroad as well?
If you're weighing up treatment abroad, tell us what you're looking into. We send your enquiry to relevant, pre-vetted clinics, and up to 3 that can help contact you directly.
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