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Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals waiting times

86,201 people were waiting for planned treatment at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust at the end of September 2026. Half had waited more than 12.1 weeks, about the same as England's (12.2).

NHS waiting times · Cheshire and Merseyside · Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals

All specialties, September 2026

86,201

waiting

up 8,378 (10.8%) on a year earlier

12.1 wk

median wait

England 12.2

65.8%

under 18 weeks

England 65.9%

1,928

over a year

England 113,490

Waits by specialty

Every specialty with people waiting at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, beside England's median. Select a column heading to sort.

median wait, in weeks (scale 0 to 40)England's median for the same specialty

SpecialtyWaitingMedian wait, weeksAgainst England's medianUnder 18 weeksOver a year
All specialtiesEvery consultant-led specialty together86,20112.165.8%1,928
Trauma and orthopaedicsHip and knee replacements, shoulders, feet, hands and spines8,1579.768.1%146
Eyes (ophthalmology)Cataracts, glaucoma and other eye conditions3,74811.271.5%9
General surgeryHernias, gallbladders and other abdominal operations6,55513.461.7%186
GynaecologyHysterectomies, endometriosis, prolapse and other gynaecology6,25311.968.5%110
Ear, nose and throatTonsils, sinuses, ears and hearing8,03614.458.2%174
UrologyProstate, kidney stones and bladder5,78111.868.9%111
Oral surgeryWisdom teeth and other hospital dental surgery2,46417.351.5%76
Plastic surgeryReconstructive plastic surgery on the NHS, including hands and skin8,98416.453.3%340
NeurosurgeryBrain and spinal surgery3135.519.4%2
DermatologySkin conditions8,10215.456.3%418
CardiologyHeart conditions2,87710.775.6%0
GastroenterologyStomach, bowel and liver conditions8,15810.179.2%20

The last 13 months

September 2025 to September 2026.

77,82386,201September 2025September 2026
People waiting at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, by monthLowest 73,635, highest 86,201. The scale starts near the lowest value.
The figures
MonthValue
September 202577,823
October 202577,354
November 202575,739
December 202574,661
January 202673,635
February 202675,459
March 202677,666
April 202679,654
May 202680,984
June 202681,973
July 202684,465
August 202684,572
September 202686,201
12.1 wk12.1 wkSeptember 2025September 2026
Median wait at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, weeksLowest 10.9 wk, highest 13.5 wk. The scale starts near the lowest value.
The figures
MonthValue
September 202512.1 wk
October 202512.2 wk
November 202512.5 wk
December 202512.8 wk
January 202613.5 wk
February 202612.7 wk
March 202610.9 wk
April 202611.5 wk
May 202612.3 wk
June 202611.8 wk
July 202611.8 wk
August 202612.1 wk
September 202612.1 wk
8.9 wk9.7 wkSeptember 2025September 2026
Orthopaedics median wait at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, weeksLowest 8.9 wk, highest 13.6 wk. The scale starts near the lowest value.
The figures
MonthValue
September 20258.9 wk
October 20259.7 wk
November 202510.4 wk
December 202512.5 wk
January 202613.6 wk
February 202612.6 wk
March 20269.9 wk
April 202610.2 wk
May 202610.7 wk
June 20269.7 wk
July 202610.4 wk
August 20269.7 wk
September 20269.7 wk
14.3 wk13.9 wkSeptember 2025September 2026
Orthopaedics median wait in England, weeksLowest 13.6 wk, highest 15.2 wk. The scale starts near the lowest value.
The figures
MonthValue
September 202514.3 wk
October 202514.4 wk
November 202514.3 wk
December 202514.7 wk
January 202615.2 wk
February 202615.0 wk
March 202614.5 wk
April 202613.9 wk
May 202614.2 wk
June 202613.8 wk
July 202613.6 wk
August 202613.9 wk
September 202613.9 wk

Waiting for an operation

A woman at her kitchen table reading a hospital appointment letter
Illustration

People admitted for orthopaedic treatment here in September 2026, which includes hip and knee replacements, had waited a median of 19.5 weeks from referral (England: 24.2).

People whose consultant has decided to admit them for treatment, usually an operation, and people admitted in September 2026 with how long they had waited.

SpecialtyWaiting to be admittedTheir median wait, weeksAdmitted for treatment this monthHalf had waited over, weeks92% within, weeks
All specialties18,93219.44,0239.451.6
Trauma and orthopaedics2,49320.940019.554.0
Eyes (ophthalmology)67111.92318.431.5
General surgery2,57519.738721.954.4
Gynaecology1,61824.620521.558.3
Ear, nose and throat54824.0859.159.2
Urology1,54021.826317.753.5
Oral surgery6119.23018.555.8
Plastic surgery5,82423.71,3626.653.5
Neurosurgery211.0
Dermatology7125.257.559.8
Cardiology1399.9577.829.4
Gastroenterology1,3956.15256.921.6

Other trusts in Cheshire and Merseyside

You can often choose where you're referred. These are the other NHS trusts in the same area.

TrustWaitingMedian wait, weeksOrthopaedics median, weeks
Alder Hey Children's17,11612.3
Clatterbridge Cancer Centre8066.6
Countess of Chester Hospital31,49011.511.7
East Cheshire15,63813.414.0
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital5,1767.9
Liverpool University Hospitals62,79413.115.5
Liverpool Women's11,19412.7
Mid Cheshire Hospitals31,45711.114.9
North Cheshire and Mersey35,31412.716.9
Walton Centre14,70311.1
Wirral University Teaching Hospital43,45011.914.1

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.

This trust as JSON: /nhs-waiting-times/mersey-and-west-lancashire-teaching-hospitals.json. NHS England organisation code RBN.

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 wait at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals?

At the end of September 2026, 86,201 people were waiting for planned treatment at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Half had waited more than 12.1 weeks, against 12.2 weeks across England. 65.8% had waited under 18 weeks and 1,928 over a year. Source: NHS England.

How long is the orthopaedic wait at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals?

In trauma and orthopaedics, which includes hip and knee replacements, 8,157 people were waiting at the end of September 2026, with a median wait so far of 9.7 weeks (England: 13.9). People admitted for treatment that month had waited a median of 19.5 weeks.

Where do these figures come from?

NHS England's referral-to-treatment statistics for September 2026, published November 2026. We update this page every month.

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