NHS waiting times for December 2023
At the end of December 2023, 7.64 million people in England were waiting for consultant-led treatment. Half had waited less than 15.0 weeks, and 56.6% had waited under 18 weeks.
| England | Dec 2023 | vs Nov 2023 | vs Dec 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| People waiting | 7,637,273 | −6,379 | +602,690 |
| Median wait (weeks) | 15.0 | +0.6 | +0.6 |
| 92% within (weeks) | 45.2 | +0.9 | −1.1 |
| Within 18 weeks | 56.6% | −1.7 pts | −1.4 pts |
| Waiting over a year | 340,230 | −17,736 | −44,175 |
Biggest changes since November 2023
Change in each provider's median wait across all specialties, among the 270 providers with at least 1,000 patients waiting in both months.
Shorter waits
- Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust −2.5 wks now 12.0
- Clifton Park Hospital −1.5 wks now 13.6
- Duchy Hospital −1.1 wks now 22.2
- St Martins Hospital −1.0 wks now 13.8
- Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust −0.9 wks now 16.8
- Mount Stuart Hospital −0.5 wks now 19.2
- Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital −0.5 wks now 9.5
- Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre - Gillingham −0.4 wks now 11.1
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust −0.4 wks now 16.0
- Inhealth Limited −0.2 wks now 1.9
Longer waits
- Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust +3.0 wks now 23.9
- City Health Care Partnership Cic +2.8 wks now 26.5
- Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust +2.7 wks now 39.8
- Phoenix Health Solutions Limited Hq +2.6 wks now 10.7
- Manchester Surgical Services Ltd +2.6 wks now 47.7
- Vcl Wiltshire Childrens Services +2.6 wks now 22.7
- St Michael'S Clinic Limited +2.4 wks now 19.3
- Glendon Wood Hospital +2.1 wks now 11.0
- Hcrg Care East Riding Llp +1.9 wks now 6.4
- Woodlands Hospital +1.9 wks now 9.0
England by specialty
| Specialty | Waiting | Median wait | vs Nov 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| General surgery | 434,249 | 15.8 wks | +0.7 |
| Urology | 415,301 | 14.9 wks | +0.4 |
| Orthopaedics | 863,696 | 16.0 wks | +0.6 |
| Ear, nose and throat | 625,590 | 19.4 wks | +0.8 |
| Ophthalmology (eyes) | 617,853 | 12.5 wks | +0.8 |
| Oral surgery | 322,801 | 18.7 wks | +1.0 |
| Neurosurgery | 63,448 | 16.5 wks | −0.1 |
| Plastic surgery | 108,991 | 17.1 wks | +1.2 |
| Cardiothoracic surgery | 10,152 | 12.0 wks | +0.4 |
| General medicine | 42,868 | 12.4 wks | +0.6 |
| Gastroenterology | 384,039 | 14.3 wks | +0.5 |
| Cardiology (heart) | 397,652 | 14.1 wks | +0.5 |
| Dermatology (skin) | 413,041 | 14.8 wks | +1.3 |
| Respiratory medicine | 218,929 | 13.7 wks | +0.3 |
| Neurology | 239,692 | 16.3 wks | +0.6 |
| Rheumatology | 128,135 | 12.7 wks | +0.7 |
| Elderly medicine | 25,581 | 9.0 wks | +0.6 |
| Gynaecology | 596,005 | 17.0 wks | +0.6 |
| Other medical specialties | 632,463 | 12.7 wks | +0.7 |
| Other mental health | 11,990 | 9.8 wks | +1.0 |
| Other paediatric specialties | 413,682 | 15.5 wks | +0.1 |
| Other surgical specialties | 489,175 | 14.7 wks | +0.8 |
| Other services | 181,940 | 10.5 wks | +1.0 |
Providers that did not report
These providers reported in November 2023 but not in December 2023. Usually this is a missed submission; sometimes a merger or a closed service.
- West Valley Hospital (153 waiting in Nov 2023)
Reporting for the first time
- Newmedica Leicester (75 waiting)