NHS waiting times for April 2026
At the end of April 2026, 7.12 million people in England were waiting for consultant-led treatment. Half had waited less than 11.9 weeks, and 64.9% had waited under 18 weeks.
| England | Apr 2026 | vs Mar 2026 | vs Apr 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| People waiting | 7,123,980 | +78,470 | −297,473 |
| Median wait (weeks) | 11.9 | +0.6 | −1.4 |
| 92% within (weeks) | 38.8 | +0.4 | −3.5 |
| Within 18 weeks | 64.9% | −0.3 pts | +5.2 pts |
| Waiting over a year | 100,665 | +4,841 | −91,895 |
Biggest changes since March 2026
Change in each provider's median wait across all specialties, among the 258 providers with at least 1,000 patients waiting in both months.
Shorter waits
- Oviva UK Ltd −3.9 wks now 10.7
- Nuffield Health, North Staffordshire Hospital −3.7 wks now 14.6
- Nuffield Health, Derby Hospital −1.7 wks now 14.6
- Oaklands Hospital −1.6 wks now 12.2
- Clifton Park Hospital −1.6 wks now 12.8
- Epsomedical Group −1.5 wks now 6.6
- Newmedica - Ipswich −1.5 wks now 6.9
- Newmedica - Gloucester (Brighouse Court) −1.5 wks now 7.1
- Duchy Hospital −1.4 wks now 13.0
- Cora Health Diagnostics (Formerly Healthshare Diagnostics) −1.4 wks now 13.9
Longer waits
- Droitwich Spa Hospital +2.6 wks now 14.4
- Spire Fylde Coast Hospital +2.0 wks now 11.2
- Renacres Hospital +1.6 wks now 19.6
- Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust +1.6 wks now 12.4
- Spire Parkway Hospital +1.6 wks now 12.1
- Euxton Hall Hospital +1.5 wks now 12.5
- Newmedica - Berkshire +1.5 wks now 13.3
- Somerset Surgical Services Hq +1.4 wks now 9.7
- Newmedica - Hampshire +1.4 wks now 14.5
- Communitas Clinics +1.4 wks now 10.4
England by specialty
| Specialty | Waiting | Median wait | vs Mar 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| General surgery | 382,295 | 12.7 wks | +0.6 |
| Urology | 378,422 | 12.2 wks | +0.8 |
| Orthopaedics | 827,992 | 13.9 wks | −0.7 |
| Ear, nose and throat | 589,187 | 14.1 wks | −0.5 |
| Ophthalmology (eyes) | 612,588 | 9.7 wks | +0.6 |
| Oral surgery | 321,516 | 15.2 wks | −0.7 |
| Neurosurgery | 57,342 | 12.8 wks | +0.1 |
| Plastic surgery | 102,433 | 14.3 wks | −0.8 |
| Cardiothoracic surgery | 9,122 | 9.9 wks | +0.3 |
| General medicine | 37,894 | 10.8 wks | +1.0 |
| Gastroenterology | 372,204 | 11.1 wks | +0.7 |
| Cardiology (heart) | 378,687 | 11.4 wks | +0.7 |
| Dermatology (skin) | 380,277 | 11.2 wks | +0.3 |
| Respiratory medicine | 188,387 | 9.7 wks | +0.7 |
| Neurology | 209,399 | 13.5 wks | −0.3 |
| Rheumatology | 115,478 | 10.6 wks | +0.7 |
| Elderly medicine | 26,513 | 7.7 wks | +0.5 |
| Gynaecology | 564,686 | 13.3 wks | −0.1 |
| Other medical specialties | 620,792 | 10.3 wks | +0.5 |
| Other mental health | 3,048 | 8.7 wks | +0.5 |
| Other paediatric specialties | 320,713 | 11.3 wks | +0.6 |
| Other surgical specialties | 465,868 | 11.4 wks | +0.7 |
| Other services | 159,137 | 8.4 wks | +0.6 |
Providers that did not report
These providers reported in March 2026 but not in April 2026. Usually this is a missed submission; sometimes a merger or a closed service.
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (33,478 waiting in Mar 2026)
- Hcrg Care Dermatology the Ironstone Centre (1,209 waiting in Mar 2026)
- Suffolk GP Federation (66 waiting in Mar 2026)
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust (53 waiting in Mar 2026)
- ACES Plymouth (2 waiting in Mar 2026)
Reporting for the first time
- ACES Darlington (1 waiting)