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.

Ophthalmology RTT specialty queue Vintage June 2026

Cataract Surgery

Removal of clouded lens, replaced with intra-ocular implant.

Compare two trusts All procedures

Reviewed by PlainNHS ·

Annual NHS volume

425,000

Approx. annual activity (separate source)

Median wait

>9–10 weeks

Within 18-week reference · national median for the Ophthalmology specialty

90th percentile

>30–31 weeks

Beyond 18-week reference · Elapsed-wait 90th-percentile band

Pick a profiled NHS Trust to open a side-by-side wait comparison for cataract surgery against another trust you choose next.

>9–10 weeks median for the Ophthalmology specialty

National median for Ophthalmology Service is >9–10 weeks (90th percentile >30–31), among pathways still waiting at the end of RTT-June-2026; it does not measure completed treatment. Among the 9 trusts PlainNHS profiles, medians run from Leeds Teaching Hospitals at >7–8 weeks to Oxford University Hospitals at >17–18 weeks. English providers with large lists span about 4–5 to 17–18 weeks. Source: NHS England RTT statistics, period RTT-June-2026.

  • Among 9 profiled trusts, Leeds Teaching Hospitals has a shorter median band at >7–8 weeks vs Oxford University Hospitals at >17–18
  • About 425,000 completed pathways a year nationally for cataract surgery

The wait picture

National median for Ophthalmology Service is >9–10 weeks (90th percentile >30–31), among pathways still waiting at the end of RTT-June-2026; it does not measure completed treatment. Among the 9 trusts PlainNHS profiles, medians run from Leeds Teaching Hospitals at >7–8 weeks to Oxford University Hospitals at >17–18 weeks. English providers with large lists span about 4–5 to 17–18 weeks.

>9–10 wks
National median wait for the Ophthalmology specialty
>30–31 wks
90th percentile (elapsed wait among those still waiting)
>7–8 wks
Shortest profiled median band (Leeds Teaching Hospitals)
>17–18 wks
Longest profiled median band (Oxford University Hospitals)

Profiled trusts: 9. Figures are specialty-level RTT queues, not single-operation forecasts. Period RTT-June-2026.

How to read this pathway

Cataract and other ophthalmology pathways are measured on NHS England's consultant-led Referral-to-Treatment (RTT) incomplete-pathway standard (92% within 18 weeks from GP referral). Ophthalmology volumes are high, so small differences in the specialty median still move large patient counts.

Patients have a statutory right to choose their treating Trust at the point of GP referral. NHS England collects these figures by specialty, not by procedure, so the chart and table show the wait for the specialty that performs Cataract Surgery, not for that operation alone.

Ophthalmology Service median at profiled trusts

Sorted ascending. Specialty-level RTT incomplete pathways for the queue this procedure sits in. Period RTT-June-2026.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals (June-2026): >7–8 weeksLeeds Teaching Hospitals(June-2026)>7–8 weeksNewcastle Upon Tyne Hospital (June-2026): >7–8 weeksNewcastle Upon Tyne Hospital(June-2026)>7–8 weeksGuys and St Thomas (June-2026): >8–9 weeksGuys and St Thomas (June-2026)>8–9 weeksImperial College Healthcare (June-2026): >8–9 weeksImperial College Healthcare(June-2026)>8–9 weeksManchester University (June-2026): >10–11 weeksManchester University (June-2026)>10–11 weeksCambridge University Hospita (June-2026): >11–12 weeksCambridge University Hospita(June-2026)>11–12 weeksRoyal Free London (June-2026): >11–12 weeksRoyal Free London (June-2026)>11–12 weeksKings College Hospital (June-2026): >13–14 weeksKings College Hospital (June-2026)>13–14 weeksOxford University Hospitals (June-2026): >17–18 weeksOxford University Hospitals(June-2026)>17–18 weeks
Median wait (weeks) for Cataract Surgery at profiled trusts

Share within 18 weeks at profiled trusts

Sorted descending. Same NHS England return as the median chart; useful when choosing between trusts on the same pathway.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals: 83.7%Leeds Teaching Hospitals83.7%Guys and St Thomas: 81.7%Guys and St Thomas81.7%Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital: 81.3%Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital81.3%Imperial College Healthcare: 77.6%Imperial College Healthcare77.6%Cambridge University Hospita: 69.3%Cambridge University Hospita69.3%Manchester University: 69.2%Manchester University69.2%Royal Free London: 66.8%Royal Free London66.8%Kings College Hospital: 64%Kings College Hospital64%Oxford University Hospitals: 51.8%Oxford University Hospitals51.8%
Share of pathways within 18 weeks (Cataract Surgery, profiled trusts)

Ophthalmology Service waits at profiled trusts

Median and 92nd-percentile waits for the specialty that performs Cataract Surgery, from NHS England's incomplete-pathways return for RTT-June-2026. These are whole-specialty figures covering every condition that specialty treats, so they describe the queue Cataract Surgery sits in rather than that operation on its own. Waits are reported in one-week bands: a median of 12 means the middle patient has waited more than 11 and at most 12 weeks.

NHS Trust Region CQC Median (wks) 92nd pct (wks) Within 18wks Waiting
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust NHS WEST YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Requires improvement >7–8 >24–25 83.7% 4,841
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Requires improvement >7–8 >30–31 81.3% 9,778
Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust NHS SOUTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Good >8–9 >23–24 81.7% 3,308
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust NHS WEST AND NORTH LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Requires improvement >8–9 >30–31 77.6% 5,236
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust NHS GREATER MANCHESTER INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >10–11 >35–36 69.2% 11,444
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Good >11–12 >34–35 69.3% 4,120
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust NHS WEST AND NORTH LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Requires improvement >11–12 >34–35 66.8% 7,413
Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust NHS SOUTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Requires improvement >13–14 >43–44 64% 12,742
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust NHS THAMES VALLEY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Requires improvement >17–18 >45–46 51.8% 5,254

Source: NHS England consultant-led RTT waiting times, incomplete pathways, RTT-June-2026. Covers the 9 profiled trusts that report to NHS England; providers outside NHS England's remit, including Scottish health boards, are not in this return.

Find your provider's Ophthalmology Service wait

Every one of the 284 English NHS providers reporting a specialty-level RTT return for Ophthalmology Service in RTT-June-2026, ordered by median band, with tied bands sharing a rank. Search by name or filter by region to find where your own hospital sits nationally. A wider view than the profiled-trusts table above, which is limited to the trusts this site covers in depth. Only providers with 100 or more incomplete pathways are included.

Showing 20 of 284 providers.

Rank Provider Region Median (wks) Within 18wks Waiting
2 ACES MILTON KEYNES NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >3–4 89% 172
14 ANGLIA COMMUNITY EYE SERVICE LTD NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >4–5 93.1% 708
14 SPAMEDICA CAMBRIDGE NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >4–5 88.3% 411
14 SPAMEDICA BEDFORD NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >4–5 91.7% 290
14 SPAMEDICA LUTON NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >4–5 87% 262
14 ANGLIA COMMUNITY EYE SERVICE - CAMBRIDGE NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >4–5 90.3% 227
38 SPAMEDICA PETERBOROUGH NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >5–6 87.4% 398
38 ANGLIA COMMUNITY EYE SERVICE - PETERBOROUGH NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >5–6 86.1% 294
65 SPAMEDICA WATFORD NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >6–7 91.7% 468
65 BLAKELANDS HOSPITAL NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >6–7 87.4% 309
147 EAST AND NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE TEACHING NHS TRUST NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >8–9 74.4% 2,594
147 RIVERS HOSPITAL NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >8–9 85.8% 380
147 PINEHILL HOSPITAL NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >8–9 80.6% 139
186 FITZWILLIAM HOSPITAL NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >9–10 87.3% 213
206 NEWMEDICA - HERTFORSHIRE - WELWYN GARDEN CITY NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >10–11 76.9% 1,167
224 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >11–12 69.3% 4,120
224 BEDFORDSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >11–12 68.2% 3,285
247 NORTH WEST ANGLIA NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >12–13 61.6% 5,997
259 WEST HERTFORDSHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >13–14 62.7% 3,392
278 MILTON KEYNES UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >16–17 54.7% 4,131

Source: NHS England consultant-led RTT waiting times, incomplete pathways, RTT-June-2026. Most providers below are outside this site's profiled-trust roster and so have no linked page. RTT is collected by specialty, never by individual procedure.

Ophthalmology Service waits by NHS region

The same 284-provider return above, grouped by NHS commissioning region instead of ranked by provider. NHS DERBY AND DERBYSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD has the shortest median-of-provider-bands interval (median of provider median bands 5–6 weeks, 6 providers); NHS STAFFORDSHIRE AND STOKE-ON-TRENT INTEGRATED CARE BOARD the longest interval (13–14 weeks, 5 providers). This describes where providers typically sit, not a single guaranteed wait for every patient in that region.

Region Providers Median of medians (wks) Range (wks)
NHS DERBY AND DERBYSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 6 5–6 3–4–12–13
NHS KENT AND MEDWAY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 7 5–6 4–5–12–13
NHS CORNWALL AND THE ISLES OF SCILLY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 3 5–6 4–5–7–8
NHS NORTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 6 5.5–6.5 3–4–11–12
NHS NOTTINGHAM AND NOTTINGHAMSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 7 6–7 4–5–14–15
NHS SOMERSET INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 3 6–7 6–7–8–9
NHS SOUTH YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 6 6.5–7.5 5–6–10–11
NHS WEST YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 15 7–8 0–1–11–12
NHS LANCASHIRE AND SOUTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 11 7–8 3–4–11–12
NHS NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 11 7–8 3–4–12–13
NHS SURREY AND SUSSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 16 7–8 3–4–16–17
NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 20 7–8 3–4–16–17
NHS BRISTOL, NORTH SOMERSET AND SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 7 7–8 4–5–7–8
NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 14 7–8 5–6–11–12
NHS BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 6 7–8 5–6–12–13
NHS SOUTH WEST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 3 7–8 6–7–9–10
NHS DORSET INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 4 7–8 6–7–11–12
NHS HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 10 7.5–8.5 3–4–15–16
NHS GREATER MANCHESTER INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 12 7.5–8.5 4–5–16–17
NHS ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 8 7.5–8.5 5–6–13–14
NHS HUMBER AND NORTH YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 10 7.5–8.5 6–7–12–13
NHS GLOUCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 4 7.5–8.5 6–7–8–9
NHS BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET, SWINDON AND WILTSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 11 8–9 3–4–14–15
NHS CHESHIRE AND MERSEYSIDE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 14 8–9 4–5–14–15
NHS WEST AND NORTH LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 12 8–9 6–7–13–14
NHS BLACK COUNTRY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 7 8–9 6–7–13–14
NHS LEICESTER, LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 5 8–9 7–8–9–10
NHS SHROPSHIRE, TELFORD AND WREKIN INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 4 8.5–9.5 7–8–11–12
NHS HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 6 9–10 6–7–13–14
NHS DEVON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 6 9.5–10.5 6–7–20–21
NHS NORTHAMPTONSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 4 9.5–10.5 8–9–10–11
NHS THAMES VALLEY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 9 10–11 3–4–17–18
NHS LINCOLNSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 4 10–11 8–9–12–13
NHS COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 4 10.5–11.5 6–7–16–17
NHS SOUTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 4 10.5–11.5 7–8–13–14
NHS STAFFORDSHIRE AND STOKE-ON-TRENT INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 5 13–14 3–4–19–20

Source: same NHS England return as the provider search above (RTT-June-2026). Region is the provider's NHS commissioning region, not the patient's home region.

The national queue behind this figure

The national median above (>9–10 weeks) sits behind 622,977 open Ophthalmology Service pathways across every English provider in June 2026, with 73.8% of them within the 18-week standard, >33–34 weeks marks the slowest 8% (92nd percentile). Provider median bands range from 4–5 to 17–18 weeks across the qualifying English specialty providers. These provider bands and the national patient percentile describe different populations.

Source: NHS England consultant-led RTT waiting times, national all-provider total (June 2026), the England-wide figure the per-trust breakdown above is drawn from, not a further trust.

Month-on-month specialty queue movement

Across every English provider reporting Ophthalmology Service, the incomplete-pathway total moved from 626,414 in May 2026 to 622,977 in June 2026 (-3,437 pathways). The share within 18 weeks went from 74.1% to 73.8% (-0.3 percentage points) , while the mean of provider median bands lies in >8–9.1 weeks (was >8–9.1). Procedures that sit in this specialty share that queue movement; it is not a single-operation forecast.

Source: NHS England consultant-led RTT provider×specialty history (May 2026 → June 2026), England-wide aggregate for this treatment function.

Which providers moved most for Ophthalmology Service?

The England-wide aggregate above blends every provider's queue together, so it can mask an individual trust getting sharply better or worse. Ranking providers with at least 100 incomplete pathways in both May 2026 and June 2026 by the change in their 18-week share shows which named trusts are actually driving that movement.

Most improved

  • HENDON HOSPITAL (NHS WEST AND NORTH LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) +10.5pp (66.5%→77%)
  • LINCOLN PRIVATE HOSPITAL (NHS LINCOLNSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) +9.7pp (63%→72.7%)
  • SPAMEDICA TAUNTON (NHS SOMERSET INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) +7.2pp (79.7%→86.9%)
  • OPTEGRA YORKSHIRE EYE HOSPITAL (NHS WEST YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) +5.9pp (83.1%→89%)
  • NEWMEDICA - CHESHIRE OAKS (NHS CHESHIRE AND MERSEYSIDE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) +5.6pp (76.5%→82.1%)

Most worsened

  • MOUNT STUART HOSPITAL (NHS DEVON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) -12.1pp (51.4%→39.3%)
  • DEEPING SURGICAL (NHS LINCOLNSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) -10.4pp (83.5%→73.1%)
  • BEACON PARK HOSPITAL (NHS STAFFORDSHIRE AND STOKE-ON-TRENT INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) -10.3pp (53.2%→42.9%)
  • NEW HALL HOSPITAL (NHS BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET, SWINDON AND WILTSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) -9.8pp (84.3%→74.5%)
  • NEWMEDICA - OXFORDSHIRE (NHS THAMES VALLEY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) -9.6pp (91.2%→81.6%)

Source: NHS England consultant-led RTT provider×specialty history, providers with ≥100 incomplete Ophthalmology Service pathways in both periods shown.

18-week RTT incomplete-pathway standard

NHS England's consultant-led Referral-to-Treatment (RTT) incomplete-pathway standard is that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment start. The national specialty median on this page for the Ophthalmology specialty is >9–10 weeks; the 90th percentile is >30–31 weeks (period RTT-June-2026).

Share of profiled-trust pathways within 18 weeks

Across the 9 trusts PlainNHS profiles (64,136 people still waiting in the RTT-June-2026 return), a waiting-list-weighted 70.7% of pathways were within 18 weeks. That is a roll-up of the per-trust shares in the chart above, not a second NHS England figure.

Choosing an ophthalmology trust at referral

Ophthalmology pathways such as cataract surgery are referred through the NHS e-Referral Service. At the point of GP referral you can ask to see ophthalmology providers. PlainNHS does not book appointments; it publishes the specialty waits from NHS England so you can compare listed trusts before the referral is locked in.

Read with this pathway

Monthly RTT release cadence

The figures on this page refresh when PlainNHS ingests the next NHS England consultant-led RTT release for Ophthalmology. The data vintage in the hero and the period labels on the charts are the ones currently on file (RTT-June-2026).

Where to see what moved

What to do with this pathway

Use the published waits for Cataract Surgery before you contact your GP or the trust's PALS.

  • National median wait is >9–10 weeks (90th percentile >30–31 weeks on the June 2026 return). See Leeds profile
  • Put two trusts on the same monthly RTT or DM01 return side by side. Compare trusts
  • Read how the 18-week clock and incomplete-pathway counts are defined. RTT guide

Statistical waiting times only, not medical advice or a prediction for your case.

Answers, sources and standards

Check the evidence behind this page

Start with the common questions, then follow the primary sources used for the figures above.

Common ophthalmology wait and NHS-cost questions

How much does cataract surgery cost on the NHS?

NHS-funded cataract surgery in England carries no charge to the patient at the point of use for people ordinarily resident in the UK — the “free at the point of delivery” principle set out in the NHS Constitution for England. PlainNHS publishes official NHS waiting times, not private or insurer-funded prices: we hold no source we can attribute for private fees, so we do not publish them. What this page does record is the length of the NHS queue — a national median of >9–10 weeks, with a 90th percentile of >30–31 weeks. Which routes the NHS funds is set out in our guide to when the NHS pays for private treatment.

Primary sources

Data current as of

About the portal

PlainNHS

An independent public-data reference that compiles NHS England waiting-time statistics and Care Quality Commission ratings. It accepts no payment from NHS trusts or any covered entity, and advertising placements do not influence editorial presentation.

Important: Statistical waiting times do not predict the timing of any individual case. This page is not medical advice; speak to your GP, NHS 111, or the treating Trust for specific clinical decisions.

Source: NHS England Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times · RTT-June-2026

Compiled from official public sources by the publisher.

Spotted a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.

PlainNHS procedure pages are rendered directly from NHS England RTT and diagnostic (DM01) releases, no number is typed in by an editor. Median and provider waits for Cataract Surgery come from the live specialty or diagnostic return on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of RTT-June-2026. Figures here are for context and comparison; clinical pathway decisions belong with your GP, NHS 111, or the treating Trust.