Plastic surgery waiting times by trust

Reconstructive plastic surgery on the NHS, including hands and skin. 110,025 people were waiting in England at the end of September 2026, with a median wait so far of 13.7 weeks. Every NHS trust, shortest median wait first.

NHS waiting times · Plastic surgery

England, September 2026

110,025

waiting in England

up 4,970 (4.7%) on a year earlier

13.7 wk

median wait so far

down 0.6 weeks on a year earlier

60.3%

under 18 weeks

9.0 wk

median wait of people admitted

in September 2026

Every NHS trust

68 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	Under 18 weeks	Over a year
ChristieGreater Manchester	168	3.0	96.4%	0
University Hospitals of Morecambe BayLancashire and South Cumbria	85	3.4	96.5%	0
Royal WolverhamptonBlack Country	157	5.6	82.2%	0
AiredaleWest Yorkshire	72	6.0	91.7%	0
Great Western HospitalsBath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire	156	6.7	79.5%	1
George Eliot HospitalCoventry and Warwickshire	167	6.8	84.4%	0
Royal MarsdenWest and North London	65	6.8	83.1%	2
Countess of Chester HospitalCheshire and Merseyside	916	6.9	77.6%	5
Royal BerkshireThames Valley	298	8.3	87.6%	0
Newcastle upon Tyne HospitalsNorth East and North Cumbria	1,368	8.5	72.4%	7
East and North Hertfordshire TeachingCentral East	3,656	8.6	73.7%	89
University Hospitals of Derby and BurtonDerby and Derbyshire	477	8.6	80.5%	8
East Suffolk and North EssexEssex	345	8.7	71.0%	2
University Hospitals of North MidlandsStaffordshire and Stoke-On-Trent	1,311	8.7	74.9%	5
Kingston and RichmondSouth West London	314	9.1	94.9%	0
Kettering General HospitalNorthamptonshire	90	9.2	74.4%	2
SalisburyBath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire	2,247	9.4	74.7%	14
Mid Yorkshire TeachingWest Yorkshire	1,943	9.5	75.7%	7
Royal Devon University HealthcareDevon	1,316	9.7	73.9%	14
Royal SurreySurrey and Sussex	199	9.8	74.4%	0
BristolBristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire	3,012	10.0	69.0%	35
North West AngliaCentral East	1,535	10.0	72.6%	19
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's LynnNorfolk and Suffolk	54	10.0	85.2%	0
Northumbria HealthcareNorth East and North Cumbria	3,293	10.1	77.2%	0
King's College HospitalSouth East London	59	10.2	81.4%	1
St George's University HospitalsSouth West London	1,567	10.2	71.7%	3
Portsmouth Hospitals UniversityHampshire and Isle of Wight	404	10.4	67.3%	11
Dudley GroupBlack Country	2,030	10.5	65.2%	0
SomersetSomerset	214	10.6	82.7%	0
Bradford Teaching HospitalsWest Yorkshire	1,029	10.7	69.9%	2
Cambridge University HospitalsCentral East	2,167	10.8	66.4%	1
South Tees HospitalsNorth East and North Cumbria	2,098	10.9	68.8%	58
Croydon Health ServicesSouth West London	92	11.0	64.1%	4
Wye ValleyHerefordshire and Worcestershire	403	11.0	67.2%	0
University Hospitals Coventry and WarwickshireCoventry and Warwickshire	549	11.1	66.8%	2
County Durham and DarlingtonNorth East and North Cumbria	1,609	11.4	65.7%	56
Blackpool Teaching HospitalsLancashire and South Cumbria	234	11.5	67.5%	5
University Hospitals BirminghamBirmingham and Solihull	795	11.8	66.9%	3
Sherwood Forest HospitalsNottingham and Nottinghamshire	129	11.9	65.1%	6
Royal Free LondonWest and North London	3,131	13.1	62.2%	31
Calderdale and HuddersfieldWest Yorkshire	611	13.8	59.4%	0
York and Scarborough Teaching HospitalsHumber and North Yorkshire	229	13.8	59.0%	5
Buckinghamshire HealthcareThames Valley	1,609	13.9	59.0%	0
Sandwell and West Birmingham HospitalsBlack Country	645	13.9	61.9%	1
Norfolk and Norwich University HospitalsNorfolk and Suffolk	1,204	14.1	60.5%	47
James Paget University HospitalsNorfolk and Suffolk	132	14.3	63.6%	1
Queen Victoria HospitalSurrey and Sussex	6,229	14.3	59.8%	180
Northern Care AllianceGreater Manchester	1,454	14.4	57.2%	64
Lancashire Teaching HospitalsLancashire and South Cumbria	4,449	14.6	58.5%	30
Leeds Teaching HospitalsWest Yorkshire	2,684	14.6	58.1%	132
Oxford University HospitalsThames Valley	1,971	14.6	59.1%	19
Bedfordshire HospitalsCentral East	1,593	14.7	56.2%	3
University Hospitals of LeicesterLeicester, Leicestershire and Rutland	1,261	15.2	56.3%	33
Barts HealthNorth East London	1,347	15.4	57.2%	45
Imperial College HealthcareWest and North London	2,081	15.4	56.0%	2
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching HospitalsCheshire and Merseyside	8,984	16.4	53.3%	340
Chelsea and Westminster HospitalWest and North London	2,950	16.5	54.1%	134
West SuffolkNorfolk and Suffolk	780	16.6	52.9%	12
Liverpool University HospitalsCheshire and Merseyside	162	17.4	52.5%	0
Manchester UniversityGreater Manchester	5,698	17.4	51.1%	320
Homerton HealthcareNorth East London	194	18.1	49.5%	1
Whittington HealthWest and North London	123	18.5	49.6%	0
Guy's and St Thomas'South East London	4,024	19.8	46.3%	183
Mid and South EssexEssex	7,222	20.5	45.7%	991
Frimley HealthSurrey and Sussex	2,608	20.7	45.2%	10
BoltonGreater Manchester	807	21.4	43.5%	107
Hull University Teaching HospitalsHumber and North Yorkshire	4,999	22.6	42.4%	817
South Warwickshire UniversityCoventry and Warwickshire	432	22.7	42.8%	36

The last 13 months in England

September 2025 to September 2026.

People waiting for plastic surgery in EnglandLowest 101,370, highest 110,025. The scale starts near the lowest value.

The figures

Month	Value
September 2025	105,055
October 2025	105,548
November 2025	106,160
December 2025	105,324
January 2026	104,152
February 2026	103,747
March 2026	101,370
April 2026	102,433
May 2026	103,367
June 2026	105,372
July 2026	108,107
August 2026	109,605
September 2026	110,025

Median wait for plastic surgery in England, weeksLowest 13.7 wk, highest 16.2 wk. The scale starts near the lowest value.

The figures

Month	Value
September 2025	14.3 wk
October 2025	14.8 wk
November 2025	15.1 wk
December 2025	15.8 wk
January 2026	16.2 wk
February 2026	15.9 wk
March 2026	15.2 wk
April 2026	14.3 wk
May 2026	14.6 wk
June 2026	14.0 wk
July 2026	13.7 wk
August 2026	14.0 wk
September 2026	13.7 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 5 with the most NHS patients waiting for plastic surgery.

Hospital or provider	NHS patients waiting	Median wait, weeks	Under 18 weeks
Cobalt HospitalNorth East and North Cumbria	992	13.4	68.0%
Tees Valley HospitalNorth East and North Cumbria	550	3.8	95.5%
Epsomedical GroupSurrey and Sussex	328	13.2	69.8%
Tyneside Surgical Services LtdNorth East and North Cumbria	274	11.0	73.7%
Cotswolds Surgical PartnersBath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire	226	3.3	96.0%

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	2,629	8.3	76.8%	15
Birmingham and Solihull	795	11.8	66.9%	3
Black Country	2,834	11.1	65.4%	1
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire	3,125	9.7	70.0%	35
Central East	8,951	10.3	68.6%	112
Cheshire and Merseyside	10,172	15.2	55.9%	345
Coventry and Warwickshire	1,148	13.0	60.4%	38
Derby and Derbyshire	477	8.6	80.5%	8
Devon	1,378	10.1	73.4%	14
Essex	7,570	19.8	46.9%	993
Gloucestershire	3	23.5	0.0%	0
Greater Manchester	8,127	16.7	52.4%	491
Hampshire and Isle of Wight	404	10.4	67.3%	11
Herefordshire and Worcestershire	420	11.1	66.7%	0
Humber and North Yorkshire	5,229	22.1	43.2%	822
Kent and Medway	105	12.6	68.6%	1
Lancashire and South Cumbria	4,780	14.1	59.7%	35
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland	1,269	15.3	56.2%	33
Norfolk and Suffolk	2,172	14.9	58.6%	60
North East London	1,589	15.6	56.6%	46
North East and North Cumbria	10,204	10.1	72.9%	139
Northamptonshire	91	9.2	73.6%	2
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire	129	11.9	65.1%	6
Somerset	214	10.6	82.7%	0
South East London	4,105	19.6	47.0%	185
South West London	2,060	10.1	74.5%	24
Staffordshire and Stoke-On-Trent	1,311	8.7	74.9%	5
Surrey and Sussex	9,592	15.7	55.7%	263
Thames Valley	3,963	13.7	61.3%	21
West Yorkshire	6,740	11.5	67.0%	143
West and North London	8,439	14.9	58.0%	170

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 plastic surgery?

At the end of September 2026, 110,025 people were waiting for plastic surgery in England. Half had waited more than 13.7 weeks so far, 60.3% under 18 weeks and 4,021 over a year. People admitted for treatment that month had waited a median of 9.0 weeks. Source: NHS England.

Which hospital trusts have the shortest plastic surgery waits?

In September 2026, the shortest median waits among trusts with at least 50 people waiting were at Christie (3.0 weeks), University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay (3.4 weeks), Royal Wolverhampton (5.6 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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