How many people are waiting for General Surgery on the NHS in England?

In April 2026, 382,295 patients were on the NHS England waiting list for General Surgery (consultant-led, incomplete Referral to Treatment pathways) — the 7th largest of 23 specialties and about 5.4% of all incomplete pathways in England. Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times.

What proportion of General Surgery patients are seen within 18 weeks?

62.7% of patients on the General Surgery waiting list in England had been waiting 18 weeks or less in April 2026, against the NHS 92% constitutional standard — so the standard is not being met for General Surgery. The England-wide figure across all specialties was 64.9%.

What is the median wait for General Surgery on the NHS?

The median wait for General Surgery in England was 12.7 weeks in April 2026 — half of the 382,295 patients still waiting had been on the list longer than this, and half for less. The England-wide median across all specialties was 11.9 weeks.

Where does General Surgery rank among NHS waiting lists?

General Surgery has the 7th largest NHS waiting list in England by number of patients waiting (of 23 treatment functions). By how quickly the list is cleared it ranks 16th on the share seen within 18 weeks (1st = fastest). Both ranks are computed from the verified April 2026 NHS England figures.

Does this General Surgery waiting list cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

No. This is an NHS England statistic only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own elective waiting-list data for General Surgery using different definitions, so they are not included here and are not directly comparable.

General Surgery NHS waiting list, England (April 2026)

The General Surgery NHS waiting list is the number of patients referred for consultant-led general surgery treatment in England who are still waiting for it to start (an NHS England “incomplete Referral to Treatment pathway”). In April 2026 there were 382,295 patients on this list — the 7th largest of 23 specialties, about 5.4% of all incomplete pathways. These are England figures only.

How many people are on the NHS waiting list for General Surgery in England?

382,295 patients were on the NHS England General Surgery waiting list (consultant-led, incomplete Referral to Treatment pathways) in April 2026 — the 7th largest of 23 specialties and about 5.4% of all incomplete pathways. 62.7% were seen within 18 weeks; median wait 12.7 weeks. Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times. England only.

Source:NHS England — Consultant-led Referral to Treatment (RTT) Waiting Times·as of England, April 2026updated monthly (last: 25 June 2026)

General Surgery waiting list at a glance

On the waiting list

382,295

patients

Rank by size

7th

of 23 specialties

Within 18 weeks

62.7%

national 64.9%

Median wait

12.7 weeks

national 11.9 weeks

How General Surgery compares with England as a whole

General Surgery accounts for about 5.4% of England’s 7,123,980 incomplete RTT pathways. Its share seen within 18 weeks (62.7%) is below the England-wide 64.9%, and by that measure it ranks 16th of 23 specialties (1st = fastest cleared). The NHS 92% within-18-weeks constitutional standard is not being met for General Surgery.

General Surgery vs England — NHS England RTT, April 2026 (OGL v3.0)
Measure	General Surgery	England (all specialties)
Patients waiting	382,295	7,123,980
Within 18 weeks	62.7%	64.9%
Median wait	12.7 weeks	11.9 weeks
Rank by list size	7th of 23	—

General Surgery NHS waiting list: frequently asked questions

How many people are waiting for General Surgery on the NHS in England?: In April 2026, 382,295 patients were on the NHS England waiting list for General Surgery (consultant-led, incomplete Referral to Treatment pathways) — the 7th largest of 23 specialties and about 5.4% of all incomplete pathways in England. Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times.
What proportion of General Surgery patients are seen within 18 weeks?: 62.7% of patients on the General Surgery waiting list in England had been waiting 18 weeks or less in April 2026, against the NHS 92% constitutional standard — so the standard is not being met for General Surgery. The England-wide figure across all specialties was 64.9%.
What is the median wait for General Surgery on the NHS?: The median wait for General Surgery in England was 12.7 weeks in April 2026 — half of the 382,295 patients still waiting had been on the list longer than this, and half for less. The England-wide median across all specialties was 11.9 weeks.
Where does General Surgery rank among NHS waiting lists?: General Surgery has the 7th largest NHS waiting list in England by number of patients waiting (of 23 treatment functions). By how quickly the list is cleared it ranks 16th on the share seen within 18 weeks (1st = fastest). Both ranks are computed from the verified April 2026 NHS England figures.
Does this General Surgery waiting list cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?: No. This is an NHS England statistic only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own elective waiting-list data for General Surgery using different definitions, so they are not included here and are not directly comparable.

Other NHS waiting lists

Trauma and Orthopaedic (827,992 waiting)
Other - Medical Services (620,792 waiting)
Ophthalmology (612,588 waiting)
Ear Nose and Throat (589,187 waiting)
Gynaecology (564,686 waiting)
Other - Surgical Services (465,868 waiting)
Dermatology (380,277 waiting)
Cardiology (378,687 waiting)

See all 23 NHS waiting lists ranked by size.

Waiting for General Surgery? See a clinician sooner

With 382,295 patients on the England General Surgery waiting list (April 2026), many people use a private online consultation for an earlier assessment or a second opinion while staying on the NHS list. GeraClinic's UK-registered clinicians can assess your symptoms online, often the same day.

See a clinician online How GeraClinic works

Contains public sector information published by NHS England and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS England — Consultant-led Referral to Treatment (RTT) Waiting Times (England, April 2026, published 11 June 2026).

Informational/educational only — 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.