NHS waiting list by specialty, England (April 2026)
The NHS waiting list is the number of patients who have been referred for consultant-led treatment and are still waiting for it to start β measured by NHS England as βincomplete Referral to Treatment (RTT) pathwaysβ. In April 2026 there were 7,123,980 such pathways in England, with 64.9% waiting 18 weeks or less and a median wait of 11.9 weeks. This page ranks every one of the 23 treatment functions by the size of its waiting list. These are England figures only β Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own elective waiting-list statistics.
How big is the NHS waiting list in England, and which specialty is largest?
There were 7,123,980 incomplete NHS consultant-led Referral to Treatment pathways waiting to start treatment in England in April 2026: 64.9% within 18 weeks, median wait 11.9 weeks. The largest single list is Trauma and Orthopaedic (827,992). Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times. England only.
NHS waiting list across England (April 2026)
The 92% within-18-weeks constitutional standard is not being met overall, nor in any individual specialty below.
NHS waiting-list lookup
Pick a specialty to see its waiting-list size, rank, 18-week share and median wait.
Trauma and Orthopaedic has the 1st largest NHS waiting list in England (827,992 patients, ~11.6% of all incomplete pathways). 58.8% were seen within 18 weeks versus 64.9% nationally, and the median wait was 13.9 weeks versus 11.9 weeks nationally.
Figures are England consultant-led Referral to Treatment (RTT) incomplete pathways for April 2026 (NHS England, OGL v3.0). The NHS 92% within-18-weeks standard is not being met for this specialty.
Every NHS specialty ranked by waiting-list size
All 23 treatment functions, largest waiting list first. Select any specialty for its full breakdown.
| # | Specialty | On the list | Within 18 wks | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trauma and Orthopaedic | 827,992 | 58.8% | 13.9 weeks |
| 2 | Other - Medical Services | 620,792 | 70.4% | 10.3 weeks |
| 3 | Ophthalmology | 612,588 | 73.1% | 9.7 weeks |
| 4 | Ear Nose and Throat | 589,187 | 58.3% | 14.1 weeks |
| 5 | Gynaecology | 564,686 | 60.2% | 13.3 weeks |
| 6 | Other - Surgical Services | 465,868 | 65.5% | 11.4 weeks |
| 7 | General Surgery | 382,295 | 62.7% | 12.7 weeks |
| 8 | Dermatology | 380,277 | 65.7% | 11.2 weeks |
| 9 | Cardiology | 378,687 | 68.4% | 11.4 weeks |
| 10 | Urology | 378,422 | 64.9% | 12.2 weeks |
| 11 | Gastroenterology | 372,204 | 69.0% | 11.1 weeks |
| 12 | Oral Surgery | 321,516 | 54.9% | 15.2 weeks |
| 13 | Other - Paediatric Services | 320,713 | 67.6% | 11.3 weeks |
| 14 | Neurology | 209,399 | 60.1% | 13.5 weeks |
| 15 | Respiratory Medicine | 188,387 | 74.7% | 9.7 weeks |
| 16 | Other - Other Services | 159,137 | 76.2% | 8.4 weeks |
| 17 | Rheumatology | 115,478 | 69.6% | 10.6 weeks |
| 18 | Plastic Surgery | 102,433 | 56.6% | 14.3 weeks |
| 19 | Neurosurgical | 57,342 | 62.3% | 12.7 weeks |
| 20 | General Internal Medicine | 37,894 | 70.7% | 10.8 weeks |
| 21 | Elderly Medicine | 26,513 | 82.4% | 7.6 weeks |
| 22 | Cardiothoracic Surgery | 9,122 | 72.0% | 9.9 weeks |
| 23 | Other - Mental Health Services | 3,048 | 79.2% | 8.7 weeks |
- Trauma and Orthopaedic waiting list (1st largest)
- Other - Medical Services waiting list (2nd largest)
- Ophthalmology waiting list (3rd largest)
- Ear Nose and Throat waiting list (4th largest)
- Gynaecology waiting list (5th largest)
- Other - Surgical Services waiting list (6th largest)
- General Surgery waiting list (7th largest)
- Dermatology waiting list (8th largest)
- Cardiology waiting list (9th largest)
- Urology waiting list (10th largest)
- Gastroenterology waiting list (11th largest)
- Oral Surgery waiting list (12th largest)
- Other - Paediatric Services waiting list (13th largest)
- Neurology waiting list (14th largest)
- Respiratory Medicine waiting list (15th largest)
- Other - Other Services waiting list (16th largest)
- Rheumatology waiting list (17th largest)
- Plastic Surgery waiting list (18th largest)
- Neurosurgical waiting list (19th largest)
- General Internal Medicine waiting list (20th largest)
- Elderly Medicine waiting list (21st largest)
- Cardiothoracic Surgery waiting list (22nd largest)
- Other - Mental Health Services waiting list (23rd largest)
Related NHS data on GeraClinic
NHS waiting list in England: frequently asked questions
- How big is the NHS waiting list in England?
- There were 7,123,980 incomplete consultant-led Referral to Treatment (RTT) pathways waiting to start treatment in England in April 2026 β the count of patients on the waiting list. 64.9% had been waiting 18 weeks or less and the median wait was 11.9 weeks. The 92% within-18-weeks constitutional standard is not being met. Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times. England only β Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own figures.
- Which NHS specialty has the longest waiting list?
- By waiting-list size, Trauma and Orthopaedic has the largest NHS waiting list in England β 827,992 patients waiting to start treatment in April 2026, about 11.6% of all incomplete pathways, with 58.8% seen within 18 weeks. This cluster ranks all 23 treatment functions by list size.
- What does "incomplete pathway" mean on the NHS waiting list?
- An incomplete RTT pathway is a patient who has been referred for consultant-led treatment and is still waiting for that treatment to start β they are "on the waiting list". The clock starts at referral and stops when treatment begins. The 7,123,980 figure for April 2026 counts pathways, not unique patients, because one person can be on more than one waiting list.
- Is the 18-week NHS waiting-time target being met?
- No. The NHS constitutional standard is that at least 92% of patients should wait 18 weeks or less from referral to treatment. In April 2026, only 64.9% of England's 7,123,980 incomplete pathways met that threshold, so the standard is not being met overall or in any individual specialty in this dataset.
- Do these NHS waiting-list figures cover the whole UK?
- No β these are NHS England figures only. Consultant-led Referral to Treatment (RTT) statistics are published by NHS England and cover England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own elective waiting-list statistics with different definitions, so they are not included or comparable here.
- Can I get treated faster than the NHS waiting list?
- Some people choose a private consultation to be seen sooner, to get an earlier diagnosis, or for a second opinion while remaining on the NHS list. GeraClinic's UK-registered clinicians can assess your symptoms online, often the same day, and where clinically appropriate issue a private prescription, referral letter or sick note. This is informational only and not medical advice.
On a waiting list and want to be seen sooner?
With 7,123,980 patients on NHS waiting lists in England (April 2026), many people use a private consultation for an earlier assessment, a second opinion or to keep things moving. GeraClinic's UK-registered clinicians can assess your symptoms online, often the same day.
Contains public sector information published by NHS England and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS England β Consultant-led Referral to Treatment (RTT) Waiting Times (England, April 2026, published 11 June 2026).
Informational/educational only β not a substitute for professional medical advice; a clinician interprets results.
NHS England waiting-list figures (consultant-led Referral to Treatment, England only) are published monthly and change with each release. Figures show the published count as at the date stated on each page; always confirm the current position on england.nhs.uk before relying on it.