Diagnostics DM01 diagnostic Vintage May 2026

Colonoscopy NHS waiting list

The NHS colonoscopy waiting list median is 4 weeks nationally (90th percentile 14). Figures below come from NHS England's monthly DM01 diagnostics return with trust-level waits where PlainNHS profiles providers.

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Reviewed by PlainNHS ·

Median wait

4 weeks

Within 6-week target · national median for Colonoscopy

Annual NHS volume

420,000

Approx. completed pathways / year

90th percentile

14 weeks

Long diagnostic wait · 9 in 10 patients treated within

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

4 weeks median for Colonoscopy

National median for colonoscopy is 4 weeks (90th percentile 14), on about 420,000 completed pathways a year. Among the 11 trusts PlainNHS profiles, medians run from Leeds Teaching Hospitals at 2 weeks to Oxford University Hospitals at 13 weeks. English diagnostic providers with lists of 100+ span about 1 to 14 weeks. Source: NHS England DM01 diagnostics, period DM01-MAY-2026.

  • Among 11 profiled trusts, Leeds Teaching Hospitals is fastest at 2 weeks vs Oxford University Hospitals at 13
  • English diagnostic providers with lists of 100+ span about 1 to 14 weeks
  • About 420,000 completed pathways a year nationally for colonoscopy

The wait picture

National median for colonoscopy is 4 weeks (90th percentile 14), on about 420,000 completed pathways a year. Among the 11 trusts PlainNHS profiles, medians run from Leeds Teaching Hospitals at 2 weeks to Oxford University Hospitals at 13 weeks. English diagnostic providers with lists of 100+ span about 1 to 14 weeks.

4 wks
National median wait for Colonoscopy
14 wks
90th percentile (9 in 10 treated within)
2 wks
Fastest profiled trust (Leeds Teaching Hospitals)
13 wks
Slowest profiled trust (Oxford University Hospitals)

Profiled trusts: 11. Figures are the named diagnostic test from DM01. Period DM01-MAY-2026.

How to read this pathway

For diagnostic-only pathways such as colonoscopy, the operational standard patients usually hear about is the 6-week diagnostic waiting-times target in NHS England's monthly DM01 return - not the 18-week Referral-to-Treatment (RTT) incomplete-pathway standard that covers consultant-led elective treatment.

Patients have a statutory right to choose where they are referred at the point of GP referral. The chart and table below show each profiled trust's reported wait for colonoscopy from NHS England's monthly diagnostics return.

Colonoscopy median at profiled trusts

Sorted ascending. Named diagnostic test from NHS England DM01. Period DM01-MAY-2026.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals: 2 wksLeeds Teaching Hospitals2 wksManchester University: 2 wksManchester University2 wksUniversity College London Ho: 2 wksUniversity College London Ho2 wksCambridge University Hospita: 3 wksCambridge University Hospita3 wksGreat Ormond Street Hospital: 3 wksGreat Ormond Street Hospital3 wksGuys and St Thomas: 3 wksGuys and St Thomas3 wksImperial College Healthcare: 3 wksImperial College Healthcare3 wksKings College Hospital: 4 wksKings College Hospital4 wksNewcastle Upon Tyne Hospital: 5 wksNewcastle Upon Tyne Hospital5 wksRoyal Free London: 6 wksRoyal Free London6 wksOxford University Hospitals: 13 wksOxford University Hospitals13 wks
Median wait (weeks) for Colonoscopy at profiled trusts

Share within 6 weeks at profiled trusts

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

Cambridge University Hospita: 99.5%Cambridge University Hospita99.5%Imperial College Healthcare: 99.1%Imperial College Healthcare99.1%University College London Ho: 98.9%University College London Ho98.9%Manchester University: 94.7%Manchester University94.7%Guys and St Thomas: 93.7%Guys and St Thomas93.7%Great Ormond Street Hospital: 85.7%Great Ormond Street Hospital85.7%Leeds Teaching Hospitals: 80.4%Leeds Teaching Hospitals80.4%Kings College Hospital: 64.2%Kings College Hospital64.2%Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital: 63.8%Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital63.8%Royal Free London: 53.8%Royal Free London53.8%Oxford University Hospitals: 31.1%Oxford University Hospitals31.1%
Share of pathways within 6 weeks (Colonoscopy, profiled trusts)

Colonoscopy waits at profiled trusts

From NHS England's monthly diagnostics return (DM01) for DM01-MAY-2026. Diagnostic tests are measured against a six-week standard, not the 18-week referral-to-treatment pathway, and unlike the specialty figures elsewhere on this site these are for colonoscopy specifically. Across every English provider with a list of 100 or more, the median wait runs from about 1 to 14 weeks. Waits are reported in one-week bands: a median of 3 means the middle patient has waited more than 2 and at most 3 weeks.

NHS Trust Region Median (wks) Within 6wks Waiting 13+ wks
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Yorkshire & Humber 2 80.4% 265 32
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust North West 2 94.7% 804 31
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London 2 98.9% 360 0
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England 3 99.5% 1,001 2
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust London 3 85.7% 28 2
Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust London 3 93.7% 460 2
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust London 3 99.1% 759 0
Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London 4 64.2% 1,694 145
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East 5 63.8% 541 39
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust London 6 53.8% 2,077 430
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East 13 31.1% 1,040 490

Source: NHS England monthly diagnostics (DM01), DM01-MAY-2026. Covers the 11 profiled trusts reporting this test to NHS England.

Fastest Colonoscopy waits nationally

The 30 shortest median waits among all 127 English NHS providers reporting colonoscopy to NHS England's DM01 return for DM01-MAY-2026 - a wider national 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.

Provider Region Median (wks) Within 6wks Waiting
DONCASTER AND BASSETLAW TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 1 98.5% 408
THE LIVING CARE GROUP - 1 100% 384
MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST North West 2 94.7% 804
LONDON NORTH WEST UNIVERSITY HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST - 2 90.9% 695
THE SHREWSBURY AND TELFORD HOSPITAL NHS TRUST - 2 94.5% 530
MID YORKSHIRE TEACHING NHS TRUST - 2 100% 477
YORK AND SCARBOROUGH TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 91.7% 468
BOLTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 98% 453
UNITED LINCOLNSHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST - 2 99.3% 446
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST London 2 98.9% 360
EAST SUSSEX HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST - 2 100% 334
SOUTH TEES HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 96.9% 325
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF NORTH MIDLANDS NHS TRUST - 2 99.4% 318
ROYAL SURREY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 100% 310
MILTON KEYNES UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 98.1% 309
SOUTH TYNESIDE AND SUNDERLAND NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 92.8% 293
CHESTERFIELD ROYAL HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 86.1% 266
LEEDS TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST Yorkshire & Humber 2 80.4% 265
DARTFORD AND GRAVESHAM NHS TRUST - 2 99.2% 260
SOUTH WARWICKSHIRE UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 99.6% 223
NORTHUMBRIA HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 95% 222
MEDWAY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 99.5% 208
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF MORECAMBE BAY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 92.3% 208
NORTH TEES AND HARTLEPOOL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 98.6% 208
HARROGATE AND DISTRICT NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 96.3% 189
BRADFORD TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 94.1% 185
ROYAL BERKSHIRE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 100% 154
WRIGHTINGTON, WIGAN AND LEIGH TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 90.8% 152
WESTCLIFFE HEALTH INNOVATIONS LTD - 2 100% 149
LANCASHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - 2 94.5% 145

Source: NHS England monthly diagnostics (DM01), DM01-MAY-2026. Most providers below are outside this site's profiled-trust roster and so have no linked page.

The national queue behind this figure

The national median above (4 weeks) sits behind 80,455 patients waiting for a colonoscopy across every English provider in May 2026, with 67.9% within the six-week standard, and 12,466 had already waited more than double that (13+ weeks). The profiled trusts above (1–14 weeks) run either side of that national median.

Source: NHS England monthly diagnostics (DM01), national all-provider total (May 2026), the England-wide figure the per-trust breakdown above is drawn from, not a further trust.

Among NHS England diagnostic tests

On the same DM01 return (May 2026), Colonoscopy ranks #11 of 15 by the share of patients waiting within six weeks (67.9%, national median 4 weeks, 12,466 already past 13 weeks). Faster operational shares include Sleep studies (70.2%) and Gastroscopy (69.4%). Slower shares include Flexi-sigmoidoscopy (67.5%) and Audiology assessments (58.1%). This ranks one published diagnostic series against the others on file; it is not a clinical priority order.

Source: NHS England monthly diagnostics (DM01) national totals, all 15 tests in May 2026, ranked by % within the six-week standard.

Six-week diagnostic waiting-times standard

NHS England's monthly diagnostics (DM01) return measures incomplete diagnostic pathways against a six-week operational standard. The national median on this page for colonoscopy is 4 weeks; the 90th percentile is 14 weeks (period DM01-MAY-2026).

Share of profiled-trust pathways within 6 weeks

Across the 11 trusts PlainNHS profiles (9,029 people still waiting in the DM01-MAY-2026 return), a waiting-list-weighted 71% of pathways were within 6 weeks. That is a roll-up of the per-trust shares in the chart above, not a second NHS England figure.

Patients waiting 13 weeks or longer

DM01 also reports how many incomplete colonoscopy pathways have already waited 13 weeks or more. Across profiled trusts that is 1,173 people in the DM01-MAY-2026 return.

Counts at profiled trusts

NHS Trust Waiting 13+ wks Total waiting
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 490 1,040
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust 430 2,077
Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 145 1,694
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 39 541
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 32 265
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust 31 804
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2 1,001
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust 2 28
Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust 2 460

Related diagnostic pathways we track

National medians from the same NHS England family of returns. Each link opens that pathway's wait page.

Choosing a diagnostic provider at referral

Diagnostic tests such as colonoscopy are booked through the NHS e-Referral Service (still often called Choose and Book). At the point of GP referral you can ask to see providers that offer this DM01 test. PlainNHS does not book appointments; it publishes the diagnostic waits from NHS England's monthly return so you can compare listed trusts before the referral is locked in.

Read with this pathway

Monthly DM01 release cadence

The figures on this page refresh when PlainNHS ingests the next NHS England DM01 diagnostics release. The data vintage in the hero and the period labels on the charts are the ones currently on file (DM01-MAY-2026).

Where to see what moved

What to do with this pathway

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

  • National median wait is 4 weeks (90th percentile 14 weeks on the May 2026 return). Browse procedures
  • Put two trusts on the same monthly RTT or DM01 return side by side. Compare trusts
  • Read how the six-week diagnostic standard is defined in NHS England’s DM01 release. All procedures

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 diagnostic wait and NHS-cost questions

What is the NHS colonoscopy waiting list time?

NHS England's latest DM01 return puts the national colonoscopy median at 4 weeks, with a 90th percentile of 14 weeks. Individual trusts on PlainNHS can be faster or slower; the provider table shows the waits we hold for profiled trusts.

How long is the colonoscopy NHS wait time?

The headline national figure is 4 weeks median wait for colonoscopy diagnostics. Diagnostic pathways use the 6-week DM01 operational target, not the 18-week RTT incomplete-pathway standard for elective treatment.

How much does colonoscopy cost on the NHS?

NHS-funded colonoscopy 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 4 weeks, with a 90th percentile of 14 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 Diagnostics waiting times and activity (DM01) · DM01-MAY-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 Colonoscopy 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 DM01-MAY-2026. Figures here are for context and comparison; clinical pathway decisions belong with your GP, NHS 111, or the treating Trust.