Independent UK NHS performance data · Sourced from NHS Digital, NHS England & CQC
Find the right NHS trust before you're referred.
Compare 12 NHS Trusts, 10 GP practices and 10 common procedures on waiting times, CQC rating, and operational performance.
- NHS Trusts
- 12
- GP Practices
- 10
- Procedures
- 10
- CQC ratings
- 20
Quick browse
Average RTT 18-week performance by NHS region, PlainNHS-profiled Trusts (lower = longer waits)
Source: NHS England RTT statistics, live-computed from the 12 Trusts PlainNHS currently profiles — most regions have only 1-6 Trusts in our dataset so far, not a full regional census; not adjusted for case-mix. Full research paper.
NHS Trusts
12
Acute, mental health & community trusts
GP Practices
10
Active general-practice surgeries
Procedures tracked
10
Common elective & diagnostic pathways
CQC ratings
20
Published Care Quality Commission ratings
About this data
The English NHS publishes some of the most detailed healthcare performance data in the world: every NHS Trust's referral-to-treatment (RTT) waiting times by procedure, A&E 4-hour standard performance, the cancer 2-week-wait and 62-day pathways, the Care Quality Commission's inspection ratings, and full GP practice contact and performance information. The data is open, the methodology is documented, and yet for patients trying to compare two hospitals before a referral choice, the official portals are still designed for analysts, not the general public.
PlainNHS aggregates the same upstream releases, NHS Digital's monthly statistics, NHS England's RTT and cancer-wait pages, and the CQC's open data, and presents them with one entity per page, a single number you can read at a glance, the data vintage beside every value, and a one-click link to the underlying NHS source. We do not modify the figures and we do not extrapolate. When a number cannot be derived consistently across the dataset (for example, where a Trust has suppressed a small-cohort waiting-time figure) we say so on the page rather than impute a value.
PlainNHS is an independent data-journalism publisher. We are not affiliated with the NHS, NHS Digital, NHS England, or the CQC. Use this site for context and orientation; speak to your GP, NHS 111, or the treating Trust for clinical decisions about your own care.
Explore PlainNHS
Featured guides
- How the NHS 18-week RTT pathway works — the elective standard explained
- The cancer 2-week-wait pathway — urgent referrals, FDS, 62-day standard
- How to read CQC inspection ratings — the four bands and five domains
- Choose & Book — your right to choose your hospital
- Compare any two NHS Trusts — side-by-side on the same procedure
- RTT performance by NHS region — original descriptive analysis
CQC “Outstanding” NHS Trusts
Source: Care Quality Commission inspection ratings.
Procedures with the shortest median NHS wait
| Procedure | Median wait (weeks) |
|---|---|
| CT Scan (Outpatient) | 5.4 |
| MRI Scan (Outpatient) | 6.1 |
| Colonoscopy | 7.2 |
| Cataract Surgery | 9.4 |
| Hernia Repair | 11.9 |
| Gallbladder Removal (Cholecystectomy) | 12.3 |
Source: NHS England RTT (Referral to Treatment) statistics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does PlainNHS show?
PlainNHS aggregates publicly published NHS performance data, referral-to-treatment (RTT) waiting times, A&E 4-hour performance, cancer 2-week and 62-day pathway results, CQC inspection ratings, and GP practice profiles, into searchable, comparable pages. We do not modify the underlying NHS figures; we present them with plain-language framing and source citations on every page.
Where does the data come from?
Every figure traces back to one of three publishers: NHS Digital (statistical publications, GP practice data), NHS England (RTT, cancer, A&E performance statistics), or the Care Quality Commission (inspection ratings, registration data). Each page cites its source agency and publication date so you can verify any number against the upstream release.
Is the data live or historical?
NHS performance data is published monthly with a one-to-two-month lag (March figures release in May). PlainNHS aims to refresh within a week of each upstream release, though the current data vintage may lag behind the most recent NHS publication at any given time. The data vintage shown on every entity page next to the value always reflects the actual reporting period on file, so you can check how current it is.
Is this medical advice?
No. PlainNHS presents publicly available NHS performance data for context and comparison. It is not medical advice and not a substitute for a referral or pathway decision made by your GP, NHS 111, or the treating NHS Trust. Statistical waiting-time aggregates do not predict individual case timing.
How is PlainNHS funded?
PlainNHS is operated by its editorial process, an independent data-journalism publisher. We do not accept compensation from NHS Trusts, GP practices, or any entities covered on the site. Costs are supported by display advertising; ad placements are clearly labelled and do not influence editorial or data presentation.
About this data
How PlainNHS works, and why you can trust these numbers
What this site is
PlainNHS aggregates publicly published NHS performance data, referral-to-treatment waiting times, A&E performance, cancer pathway results, CQC inspection ratings, and GP practice profiles, into searchable, comparable pages. We do not modify the underlying NHS figures; every number carries its source agency and publication date.
Editorial process
- Source. Pull statistical publications from NHS Digital, performance statistics from NHS England, and inspection ratings from the Care Quality Commission.
- Verify. Each record keeps its original reporting period and source agency, so every figure on the site traces back to the exact upstream publication.
- Publish. Compile per-Trust, per-practice, and per-procedure pages with the source and vintage stamped on every page, refreshed within about a week of each upstream release.
Editorial independence & corrections
PlainNHS is operated by an independent editorial process; it does not accept compensation from NHS Trusts, GP practices, or any covered entity, and advertising placements do not influence editorial or data presentation. Found an error? Contact us via the contact page. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
Frequently asked
What does PlainNHS show?
PlainNHS aggregates publicly published NHS performance data, referral-to-treatment (RTT) waiting times, A&E 4-hour performance, cancer 2-week and 62-day pathway results, CQC inspection ratings, and GP practice profiles, into searchable, comparable pages. We do not modify the underlying NHS figures; we present them with plain-language framing and source citations on every page.
Where does the data come from?
Every figure traces back to one of three publishers: NHS Digital (statistical publications, GP practice data), NHS England (RTT, cancer, A&E performance statistics), or the Care Quality Commission (inspection ratings, registration data). Each page cites its source agency and publication date so you can verify any number against the upstream release.
Is the data live or historical?
NHS performance data is published monthly with a one-to-two-month lag (March figures release in May). PlainNHS aims to refresh within a week of each upstream release, though the current data vintage may lag behind the most recent NHS publication at any given time. The data vintage shown on every entity page next to the value always reflects the actual reporting period on file, so you can check how current it is.
Is this medical advice?
No. PlainNHS presents publicly available NHS performance data for context and comparison. It is not medical advice and not a substitute for a referral or pathway decision made by your GP, NHS 111, or the treating NHS Trust. Statistical waiting-time aggregates do not predict individual case timing.
How is PlainNHS funded?
PlainNHS is operated by its editorial process, an independent data-journalism publisher. We do not accept compensation from NHS Trusts, GP practices, or any entities covered on the site. Costs are supported by display advertising; ad placements are clearly labelled and do not influence editorial or data presentation.