FairWaitAverage NHS waiting times by specialty
How long people are waiting for planned hospital treatment on the NHS in England, for every specialty — official figures for August 2026, checked daily.
Average NHS waiting time by specialty (England)
| Specialty | Median wait so far | Within 18 weeks | Waiting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Surgery | 16 wk | 53.8% | 316,357 |
| Ear Nose and Throat | 15 wk | 56.8% | 590,233 |
| Gynaecology | 14 wk | 59.6% | 586,582 |
| Plastic Surgery | 14 wk | 59.4% | 109,605 |
| Trauma and Orthopaedic | 14 wk | 60.9% | 851,183 |
| Neurosurgical | 13 wk | 62% | 54,748 |
| Neurology | 13 wk | 62.3% | 208,030 |
| General Surgery | 13 wk | 63.2% | 384,914 |
| Other - Paediatric Services | 12 wk | 66% | 322,905 |
| Urology | 12 wk | 64.8% | 367,027 |
| Cardiology | 12 wk | 67.9% | 362,143 |
| Other - Surgical Services | 11 wk | 66.9% | 474,806 |
| Gastroenterology | 11 wk | 69.7% | 358,127 |
| Rheumatology | 11 wk | 70.4% | 118,397 |
| Other - Medical Services | 11 wk | 70.1% | 622,434 |
| Dermatology | 11 wk | 69% | 423,217 |
| Ophthalmology | 10 wk | 72.2% | 625,063 |
| Respiratory Medicine | 10 wk | 74.1% | 182,914 |
| General Internal Medicine | 10 wk | 72.3% | 31,589 |
| Cardiothoracic Surgery | 10 wk | 73.6% | 8,798 |
| Other - Other Services | 9 wk | 76.5% | 159,349 |
| Other - Mental Health Services | 8 wk | 82% | 3,361 |
| Elderly Medicine | 8 wk | 84.3% | 27,431 |
Common questions
What is the average NHS waiting time?
In England, half of the 7,189,213 people on the NHS waiting list for planned hospital treatment had been waiting 12 wks or less so far, and 65.2% had waited less than 18 weeks (August 2026). The NHS standard is 92% within 18 weeks. The longest median waits are in oral Surgery (16 wk) and ear Nose and Throat (15 wk).
How is the waiting time measured?
It's the time since referral for everyone still waiting, not how long finished patients waited. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland measure differently — see each UK operation page, and how FairWait calculates the figures.
Source: NHS England — Referral to Treatment waiting times (August 2026).