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

In April 2026, 612,588 patients were on the NHS England waiting list for Ophthalmology (consultant-led, incomplete Referral to Treatment pathways) — the 3rd largest of 23 specialties and about 8.6% of all incomplete pathways in England. Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times.

What proportion of Ophthalmology patients are seen within 18 weeks?

73.1% of patients on the Ophthalmology 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 Ophthalmology. The England-wide figure across all specialties was 64.9%.

What is the median wait for Ophthalmology on the NHS?

The median wait for Ophthalmology in England was 9.7 weeks in April 2026 — half of the 612,588 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 Ophthalmology rank among NHS waiting lists?

Ophthalmology has the 3rd largest NHS waiting list in England by number of patients waiting (of 23 treatment functions). By how quickly the list is cleared it ranks 5th on the share seen within 18 weeks (1st = fastest). Both ranks are computed from the verified April 2026 NHS England figures.

Does this Ophthalmology 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 Ophthalmology using different definitions, so they are not included here and are not directly comparable.

Ophthalmology NHS waiting list, England (April 2026)

The Ophthalmology NHS waiting list is the number of patients referred for consultant-led ophthalmology treatment in England who are still waiting for it to start (an NHS England “incomplete Referral to Treatment pathway”). In April 2026 there were 612,588 patients on this list — the 3rd largest of 23 specialties, about 8.6% of all incomplete pathways. These are England figures only.

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

612,588 patients were on the NHS England Ophthalmology waiting list (consultant-led, incomplete Referral to Treatment pathways) in April 2026 — the 3rd largest of 23 specialties and about 8.6% of all incomplete pathways. 73.1% were seen within 18 weeks; median wait 9.7 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)

Ophthalmology waiting list at a glance

On the waiting list

612,588

patients

Rank by size

3rd

of 23 specialties

Within 18 weeks

73.1%

national 64.9%

Median wait

9.7 weeks

national 11.9 weeks

How Ophthalmology compares with England as a whole

Ophthalmology accounts for about 8.6% of England’s 7,123,980 incomplete RTT pathways. Its share seen within 18 weeks (73.1%) is above the England-wide 64.9%, and by that measure it ranks 5th of 23 specialties (1st = fastest cleared). The NHS 92% within-18-weeks constitutional standard is not being met for Ophthalmology.

Ophthalmology vs England — NHS England RTT, April 2026 (OGL v3.0)
Measure	Ophthalmology	England (all specialties)
Patients waiting	612,588	7,123,980
Within 18 weeks	73.1%	64.9%
Median wait	9.7 weeks	11.9 weeks
Rank by list size	3rd of 23	—

Ophthalmology NHS waiting list: frequently asked questions

How many people are waiting for Ophthalmology on the NHS in England?: In April 2026, 612,588 patients were on the NHS England waiting list for Ophthalmology (consultant-led, incomplete Referral to Treatment pathways) — the 3rd largest of 23 specialties and about 8.6% of all incomplete pathways in England. Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times.
What proportion of Ophthalmology patients are seen within 18 weeks?: 73.1% of patients on the Ophthalmology 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 Ophthalmology. The England-wide figure across all specialties was 64.9%.
What is the median wait for Ophthalmology on the NHS?: The median wait for Ophthalmology in England was 9.7 weeks in April 2026 — half of the 612,588 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 Ophthalmology rank among NHS waiting lists?: Ophthalmology has the 3rd largest NHS waiting list in England by number of patients waiting (of 23 treatment functions). By how quickly the list is cleared it ranks 5th on the share seen within 18 weeks (1st = fastest). Both ranks are computed from the verified April 2026 NHS England figures.
Does this Ophthalmology 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 Ophthalmology 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)
Ear Nose and Throat (589,187 waiting)
Gynaecology (564,686 waiting)
Other - Surgical Services (465,868 waiting)
General Surgery (382,295 waiting)
Dermatology (380,277 waiting)
Cardiology (378,687 waiting)

See all 23 NHS waiting lists ranked by size.

Waiting for Ophthalmology? See a clinician sooner

With 612,588 patients on the England Ophthalmology 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.