ShortestWait

Hospital waiting times in Cheshire and Merseyside

North West31 providersAugust 2026 figures

Across Cheshire and Merseyside's hospitals, 371,004 patients were waiting at the end of August 2026. Half had waited less than 11.9 weeks, against 12.2 weeks across England.

Median wait
11.9 weeks
92% waiting less than
38.3 weeks
Waiting under 18 weeks
66%
Waiting over a year
4,530

Waiting times by specialty

Specialty Area median England median Shortest in the area
General surgery 13.0 wks 12.8 wks Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (6.4 wks)
Urology 11.9 wks 12.2 wks Spire Regency Hospital (3.8 wks)
Orthopaedics 12.5 wks 13.9 wks Spire Murrayfield Hospital (5.7 wks)
Ear, nose and throat 14.8 wks 15.4 wks Spire Cheshire Hospital (3.5 wks)
Ophthalmology (eyes) 10.0 wks 10.4 wks Spamedica Widnes (5.1 wks)
Oral surgery 17.1 wks 16.4 wks Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (15.5 wks)
Neurosurgery 12.2 wks 13.4 wks The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust (12.0 wks)
Plastic surgery 16.7 wks 14.0 wks Spire Cheshire Hospital (6.0 wks)
Cardiothoracic surgery 13.1 wks 9.6 wks Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (13.1 wks)
General medicine 5.5 wks 10.2 wks Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (3.6 wks)
Gastroenterology 11.4 wks 11.0 wks Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (8.5 wks)
Cardiology (heart) 10.7 wks 11.9 wks Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (8.3 wks)
Dermatology (skin) 11.5 wks 10.5 wks Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (7.8 wks)
Respiratory medicine 10.5 wks 10.4 wks Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (5.1 wks)
Neurology 10.4 wks 13.2 wks The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust (10.4 wks)
Rheumatology 13.2 wks 10.9 wks Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (10.0 wks)
Elderly medicine 10.3 wks 7.6 wks Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (4.8 wks)
Gynaecology 12.9 wks 14.2 wks Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (11.3 wks)
Other medical specialties 11.4 wks 10.7 wks The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust (7.2 wks)
Other mental health 2.5 wks 8.4 wks no provider with 50+ waiting
Other paediatric specialties 11.4 wks 12.3 wks Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (7.9 wks)
Other surgical specialties 12.2 wks 11.4 wks Spire Murrayfield Hospital (6.5 wks)
Other services 7.5 wks 8.7 wks Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (5.2 wks)

Area figures combine all the area's providers, counting every patient on their lists.

Median wait across all specialties

  • Cheshire and Merseyside
  • England
Cheshire and Merseyside: median wait in weeks, Sep 2024 to Aug 2026The median wait fell from 15.1 weeks to 11.9 weeks between September 2024 and August 2026.05101520Feb 2025Aug 2025Feb 2026Aug 202611.9 wks
Show the figures
MonthCheshire and MerseysideEngland
August 202611.912.2
July 202611.812
June 202611.911.9
May 202612.412.4
April 202611.811.9
March 202611.211.3
February 202613.513.2
January 202614.413.6
December 202514.313.5
November 20251412.9
October 20251413.3
September 20251413.4
August 202514.313.5
July 202513.913.1
June 202514.213.4
May 202514.113.6
April 202513.813.3
March 202514.513.9
February 202514.814.2
January 202515.214.5
December 20241514.2
November 202414.614
October 202414.814.2
September 202415.114.4

Hospitals and providers in Cheshire and Merseyside

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