NHS Procedures
Median NHS waits for common elective and diagnostic pathways, from the latest NHS England RTT and diagnostics releases. Percentiles are elapsed-wait bands, sometimes open-ended, not personal forecasts.
How to read these waiting bands
These bands describe elapsed waits among pathways still waiting at the stated period end, not time until an appointment or completed treatment. A range such as 3–<4 includes 3 but excludes 4 weeks; >3–4 excludes 3 and includes 4. 13+ has no upper bound; >104 means more than 104 weeks. Chart bars mark the finite upper bound or, for open bands, the lower bound; tied bands cannot rank individual waits.
What this list shows
Published median waits in this list range from 2–<3 weeks for CT Scan (Outpatient) to >14–15 weeks for Tonsillectomy. The procedure and Trust both matter, so use the detail page before relying on a national median.
- 2–<3 wks
- CT Scan (Outpatient) median
- >14–15 wks
- Tonsillectomy median
- 10
- Published procedure pathways on file
Source: NHS England RTT and diagnostics monthly statistics. A published national median is not a personal wait forecast.
| Procedure | Category | Median wait (wks) | 90th percentile | Annual volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CT Scan (Outpatient) | Diagnostics DM01-MAY-2026 | 2–<3 | 6–<7 | 1,850,000 |
| MRI Scan (Outpatient) | Diagnostics DM01-MAY-2026 | 3–<4 | 10–<11 | 2,100,000 |
| Colonoscopy | Diagnostics DM01-MAY-2026 | 3–<4 | 13+ | 420,000 |
| Cataract Surgery | Ophthalmology RTT-June-2026 | >9–10 | >30–31 | 425,000 |
| Hip Replacement | Orthopaedics RTT-June-2026 | >13–14 | >39–40 | 105,000 |
| Knee Replacement | Orthopaedics RTT-June-2026 | >13–14 | >39–40 | 110,000 |
| Hernia Repair | General Surgery RTT-June-2026 | >13–14 | >38–39 | 76,000 |
| Varicose Vein Treatment | General Surgery RTT-June-2026 | >13–14 | >38–39 | 24,000 |
| Gallbladder Removal (Cholecystectomy) | General Surgery RTT-June-2026 | >13–14 | >38–39 | 61,000 |
| Tonsillectomy | ENT RTT-June-2026 | >14–15 | >38–39 | 32,000 |
Source: NHS England RTT & diagnostics monthly statistics.
What to do with this index
Pick the procedure you were referred for, then check trust-level waits, not just the national median.
- Published medians on file range from 2–<3 weeks (CT Scan (Outpatient)) to >14–15 weeks (Tonsillectomy). Shortest median
- Compare two trusts on the same specialty or diagnostic return. Compare trusts
- Read how the 18-week RTT clock differs from cancer and diagnostic standards. RTT guide
National specialty medians only, open the procedure page for profiled-trust tables.
Download the trust-level RTT extract used with these procedure medians: hospitals.csv · open data