How many people are waiting for Trauma and Orthopaedic on the NHS in England?

In April 2026, 827,992 patients were on the NHS England waiting list for Trauma and Orthopaedic (consultant-led, incomplete Referral to Treatment pathways) — the 1st largest of 23 specialties and about 11.6% of all incomplete pathways in England. Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times.

What proportion of Trauma and Orthopaedic patients are seen within 18 weeks?

58.8% of patients on the Trauma and Orthopaedic 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 Trauma and Orthopaedic. The England-wide figure across all specialties was 64.9%.

What is the median wait for Trauma and Orthopaedic on the NHS?

The median wait for Trauma and Orthopaedic in England was 13.9 weeks in April 2026 — half of the 827,992 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 Trauma and Orthopaedic rank among NHS waiting lists?

Trauma and Orthopaedic has the 1st largest NHS waiting list in England by number of patients waiting (of 23 treatment functions). By how quickly the list is cleared it ranks 20th on the share seen within 18 weeks (1st = fastest). Both ranks are computed from the verified April 2026 NHS England figures.

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

Trauma and Orthopaedic NHS waiting list, England (April 2026)

The Trauma and Orthopaedic NHS waiting list is the number of patients referred for consultant-led trauma and orthopaedic treatment in England who are still waiting for it to start (an NHS England “incomplete Referral to Treatment pathway”). In April 2026 there were 827,992 patients on this list — the 1st largest of 23 specialties, about 11.6% of all incomplete pathways. These are England figures only.

How many people are on the NHS waiting list for Trauma and Orthopaedic in England?

827,992 patients were on the NHS England Trauma and Orthopaedic waiting list (consultant-led, incomplete Referral to Treatment pathways) in April 2026 — the 1st largest of 23 specialties and about 11.6% of all incomplete pathways. 58.8% were seen within 18 weeks; median wait 13.9 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)

Trauma and Orthopaedic waiting list at a glance

On the waiting list

827,992

patients

Rank by size

1st

of 23 specialties

Within 18 weeks

58.8%

national 64.9%

Median wait

13.9 weeks

national 11.9 weeks

How Trauma and Orthopaedic compares with England as a whole

Trauma and Orthopaedic accounts for about 11.6% of England’s 7,123,980 incomplete RTT pathways. Its share seen within 18 weeks (58.8%) is below the England-wide 64.9%, and by that measure it ranks 20th of 23 specialties (1st = fastest cleared). The NHS 92% within-18-weeks constitutional standard is not being met for Trauma and Orthopaedic.

Trauma and Orthopaedic vs England — NHS England RTT, April 2026 (OGL v3.0)
Measure	Trauma and Orthopaedic	England (all specialties)
Patients waiting	827,992	7,123,980
Within 18 weeks	58.8%	64.9%
Median wait	13.9 weeks	11.9 weeks
Rank by list size	1st of 23	—

Trauma and Orthopaedic NHS waiting list: frequently asked questions

How many people are waiting for Trauma and Orthopaedic on the NHS in England?: In April 2026, 827,992 patients were on the NHS England waiting list for Trauma and Orthopaedic (consultant-led, incomplete Referral to Treatment pathways) — the 1st largest of 23 specialties and about 11.6% of all incomplete pathways in England. Source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times.
What proportion of Trauma and Orthopaedic patients are seen within 18 weeks?: 58.8% of patients on the Trauma and Orthopaedic 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 Trauma and Orthopaedic. The England-wide figure across all specialties was 64.9%.
What is the median wait for Trauma and Orthopaedic on the NHS?: The median wait for Trauma and Orthopaedic in England was 13.9 weeks in April 2026 — half of the 827,992 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 Trauma and Orthopaedic rank among NHS waiting lists?: Trauma and Orthopaedic has the 1st largest NHS waiting list in England by number of patients waiting (of 23 treatment functions). By how quickly the list is cleared it ranks 20th on the share seen within 18 weeks (1st = fastest). Both ranks are computed from the verified April 2026 NHS England figures.
Does this Trauma and Orthopaedic 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 Trauma and Orthopaedic using different definitions, so they are not included here and are not directly comparable.

Other NHS waiting lists

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)
General Surgery (382,295 waiting)
Dermatology (380,277 waiting)
Cardiology (378,687 waiting)

See all 23 NHS waiting lists ranked by size.

Waiting for Trauma and Orthopaedic? See a clinician sooner

With 827,992 patients on the England Trauma and Orthopaedic 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.