NHS Waiting Times by Region: Your Area Compared (2026)
How long you wait for NHS treatment depends a lot on where you live. In England, the share of patients seen within 18 weeks ranges from about 74% in the best area to 56% in the worst, and waits in Wales and Northern Ireland are longer again. This guide compares every region and nation, shows how to check waits in your area, and sets out the faster options.
Quick Answer
England: 65.4% of the 7.33 million treatments on the waiting list had waited under 18 weeks at the end of July 2026. The best area was Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (73.9%) and the worst was Essex (55.5%). At regional level, the South West and North East and Yorkshire were the joint best at the end of March 2026, and the East of England was among the weakest at 61.3%.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland measure waits differently, but all have long waits: about 1 in 10 people in Scotland are on a list, Wales has about 709,700 pathways waiting, and in Northern Ireland more than half of people waiting for a first outpatient appointment have waited over a year. For national figures and your rights while waiting, see our NHS waiting times hub.
On this page
- NHS waiting times by nation
- NHS waiting times by region in England
- Best and worst areas in England
- Scotland
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
- How to check NHS waiting times in your area
- Why waiting times differ by area
- Faster options wherever you live
- Private hospitals by region
- Health insurance and where you live
- Frequently asked questions
NHS Waiting Times by Nation (2026)
Each UK nation runs its own health service and publishes its own figures, against different standards. The table shows the latest headline numbers for each.
| Nation | Latest figures | Standard used | Data date |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 7.33 million treatments waiting (6.21 million people); 65.4% under 18 weeks | 18 weeks from referral to treatment | July 2026 |
| Scotland | About 580,545 people on at least one list; 17,097 inpatient and day case waits over a year | 12-week Treatment Time Guarantee for inpatient and day case care | 30 June 2026 |
| Wales | About 709,700 pathways (555,200 people); 65.7% under 26 weeks; over 4,700 waiting two years | 26 weeks from referral to treatment | July 2026 |
| Northern Ireland | 504,537 waiting for a first outpatient appointment, 53.7% over a year; 81,223 waiting for admission, 34.1% over a year | Separate outpatient, inpatient and diagnostic waits | 30 June 2026 |
Because the standards differ (18 weeks in England, 26 weeks in Wales, stage-by-stage waits in Scotland and Northern Ireland), the percentages cannot be compared directly. The long-wait figures give the clearest picture: Northern Ireland has by far the longest waits in the UK.
NHS Waiting Times by Region in England
NHS England is split into seven regions. Most published their end-of-year position after the 2025/26 target year closed in March 2026, when England as a whole reached 65.3% of patients waiting under 18 weeks against a 65% target.
| NHS England region | Waiting under 18 weeks | What was reported |
|---|---|---|
| South West | 67.5% (March 2026) | Joint best region; up from 63.2% a year earlier |
| North East and Yorkshire | About 67.5% (March 2026) | Joint best region with the South West |
| London | 66.9% (March 2026) | Up from 60.8% at the start of the year |
| South East | 64.5% (March 2026) | Up from 59.4% a year earlier; list down by over 31,000 |
| Midlands | Just over 60% (December 2025) | Fastest-falling list in England, down 6.5% in a year |
| East of England | 61.3% (March 2026) | About 895,000 on the list |
| North West | Not stated in the regional release | List about 1.01 million in December 2025 |
Since March, the national position has slipped slightly as the list grew over a busy summer, to 7.33 million in July 2026. Local figures inside each region vary much more than the regional averages suggest, as the next section shows.
Best and Worst Areas in England
England’s local NHS areas are run by 42 integrated care boards (ICBs), which roughly follow county and city boundaries. The gap between them is wide:
- Best: NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, with 73.9% of pathways within 18 weeks in July 2026 (Polimapper analysis of NHS England data). Local private options include the Duchy Hospital in Truro.
- Also strong: NHS Gloucestershire, with about 70% treated within 18 weeks in April 2026 (Health Foundation). See private hospitals in Gloucester.
- Worst: NHS Essex, with 55.5% within 18 weeks in July 2026, the weakest in England by a wide margin. The Health Foundation found only 47% of patients in Essex’s most deprived areas were treated within 18 weeks. See private hospitals in Essex and Chelmsford.
- Kent and Medway: 56.8% within 18 weeks in the most deprived areas against 65.9% in the least deprived (Health Foundation, April 2026). See private hospitals in Kent.
- Birmingham and Solihull: 62% within 18 weeks in June 2026, down from 67% in May; the Black Country was at 64.3%. See private hospitals in Birmingham.
The Health Foundation also found that people in more deprived areas tend to wait longer: nationally, 62.5% in the most deprived areas were treated within 18 weeks in April 2026, against 63.6% in the least deprived.
NHS Waiting Times in Scotland
At 30 June 2026, Public Health Scotland reported 496,349 ongoing waits for a new outpatient appointment and 157,191 for inpatient or day case treatment. An estimated 580,545 people, around 1 in 10 of Scotland’s population, were on at least one list.
- 63.6% of completed outpatient waits were within 12 weeks; 14,238 people had waited over a year, 1,058 of them over two years.
- 56.3% of completed inpatient and day case waits were within 12 weeks of treatment being agreed; 17,097 had waited over a year, 2,181 of them over two years.
Scotland has a legal 12-week Treatment Time Guarantee for planned inpatient and day case treatment, but many patients currently wait longer. Waits vary by health board, such as Lothian, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Grampian and Tayside. Private options include private hospitals in Edinburgh, Spire Shawfair Park, Nuffield Health Glasgow and private hospitals in Aberdeen, with scans such as private colonoscopy in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
NHS Waiting Times in Wales
About 709,700 patient pathways were waiting to start treatment in Wales at the end of July 2026, up around 11,300 in a month and the fourth monthly rise in a row. That relates to about 555,200 people. Only 65.7% of pathways had waited less than 26 weeks, the Welsh standard, and over 4,700 had waited more than two years.
Waits vary sharply between Wales’s seven health boards. Betsi Cadwaladr in north Wales had the highest share waiting over a year (16.7%) and over two years (1.2%), while Powys and Swansea Bay reported no pathways over two years. Private options include private hospitals in Cardiff, Spire Cardiff, Nuffield Health Cardiff Bay and Vale, private MRI in Cardiff and private hospitals in Swansea.
NHS Waiting Times in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has the longest hospital waits in the UK. At 30 June 2026, the Department of Health reported:
- 504,537 people waiting for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment, 53.7% of them for more than a year.
- 81,223 waiting for inpatient or day case admission, 34.1% for more than a year.
- 231,145 waiting for a diagnostic test, 35.0% for more than 26 weeks.
With waits this long, many people in Northern Ireland pay for a private consultation or scan to get a diagnosis, then return to the health service for treatment. See private healthcare without insurance and how long it takes to see a private specialist.
How to Check NHS Waiting Times in Your Area
- England: the NHS My Planned Care website shows average waits for hospitals and specialties in your area. Your GP can tell you the waits at the hospitals you could be referred to, and the NHS App shows some referrals and appointments.
- Scotland: Public Health Scotland publishes hospital waiting times by health board and specialty, and NHS inform explains your rights while waiting.
- Wales: NHS Wales publishes waiting times by health board and specialty.
- Northern Ireland: the Department of Health publishes quarterly waiting time statistics by trust and specialty.
- Already waiting: the hospital booking or waiting list team can usually tell you roughly where you are on the list.
Waits also vary by treatment. For specific waits, see NHS MRI waits, cataract surgery, hip replacement, knee surgery, prolapse surgery, wisdom teeth removal and NHS referral waits.
Why Waiting Times Differ by Area
- Demand: areas with older populations need more hip, knee and cataract operations.
- Staff and beds: shortages of consultants, theatre staff or beds in one hospital lengthen waits for the whole area.
- Specialty gaps: an area may do well overall but have very long waits in one specialty, such as gynaecology or orthopaedics.
- Deprivation: the Health Foundation found patients in more deprived areas tend to wait longer.
- Independent sector capacity: areas with more private hospitals treating NHS patients can move people through faster.
For the national causes, see why NHS waiting times are so long.
Faster Options Wherever You Live
1. Your right to choose (England, free). When your GP refers you for a first outpatient appointment, you can usually choose any hospital offering that service, including in another area or an independent hospital treating NHS patients. Picking a hospital with a shorter wait can save months. See how to jump the NHS waiting list.
2. Pay for one step (self-pay). A private scan or consultation can get you a diagnosis quickly, and you can then return to the NHS for treatment. See mixing NHS and private treatment, private operation costs and whether to wait for the NHS or go private.
3. Health insurance. Insurance pays for private treatment of new conditions after you join, so you are not dependent on local NHS waits. It does not usually cover conditions you already have. See the private health insurance hub and is private health insurance worth it?
For the full comparison, see NHS vs private healthcare.
Private Hospitals by Region
If you are considering private treatment, these guides cover hospitals, prices and insurer hospital lists in each area:
- London: private hospitals in London
- South East: Surrey, Hampshire, Brighton and Hove, Berkshire
- South West: Bristol, Bath, Exeter, Nuffield Health Plymouth
- East of England: Cambridge, Norwich
- Midlands: Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry, Derby
- North West: Manchester, Liverpool, Chester
- North East and Yorkshire: Leeds, York, Nuffield Health Newcastle, Thornbury Hospital Sheffield
Every area is listed in our private hospitals hub.
Health Insurance and Where You Live
Where you live affects both your NHS waits and what private cover costs:
- Postcode pricing: insurers price by where you live as well as your age, and policies including central London hospitals usually cost more. See hospital list tiers outside London.
- Hospital lists: each policy covers a set list of hospitals, so it is worth checking your nearest ones are included. See the Bupa, AXA and Aviva hospital lists.
- Six-week option: some policies use the NHS if it can treat you within six weeks and pay for private treatment if not, which lowers the premium. See the six-week NHS wait option.
- Existing conditions: these are not usually covered. See health insurance and pre-existing conditions and moratorium vs full medical underwriting.
FAQs: NHS Waiting Times by Region (2026)
Which part of the UK has the shortest NHS waiting times?
Each nation measures waits differently, so there is no exact like-for-like ranking. Within England, NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly was the best-performing area in July 2026, with 73.9% of pathways within 18 weeks, according to a Polimapper analysis of NHS England data. At regional level, NHS England reported that the South West and North East and Yorkshire were the joint best regions at the end of March 2026, at about 67.5%.
Which part of the UK has the longest NHS waiting times?
Northern Ireland has the longest waits in the UK. At 30 June 2026, 53.7% of the 504,537 people waiting for a first outpatient appointment had waited more than a year, according to the Department of Health. In England, NHS Essex was the worst-performing area in July 2026, with 55.5% of pathways within 18 weeks. In Wales, Betsi Cadwaladr had the highest share of pathways waiting over a year.
How do I check NHS waiting times in my area?
In England, the NHS My Planned Care website shows average waits by hospital and specialty, and your GP can tell you the waits at the hospitals you could be referred to. In Scotland, Public Health Scotland publishes hospital waiting times by health board and specialty. Wales and Northern Ireland publish figures by health board and trust. If you are already waiting, the hospital booking team can usually tell you where you are on the list.
Can I go to a hospital in another area to be seen faster?
In England, yes in many cases. When your GP refers you for a first outpatient appointment you usually have a legal right to choose which hospital you go to, including hospitals in other areas and independent hospitals that treat NHS patients, at no cost. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not have the same right to choose, though health boards sometimes send patients elsewhere to reduce waits. Paying privately or using health insurance also lets you choose a hospital anywhere.
Does health insurance cost more depending on where I live?
Yes. Insurers price by postcode as well as age, and policies that include central London hospitals usually cost more. Choosing a hospital list without the most expensive hospitals, or a six-week option that uses the NHS when the local wait is short, can lower the price. Health insurance covers new conditions that start after you join; it does not usually cover conditions you already have.
Important Information
This 2026 guide is independent general information, not medical, legal, financial or insurance advice. Sources: NHS England (national figures for July 2026 and regional releases for March 2026); Polimapper analysis of NHS England data (July 2026); the Health Foundation (April 2026); NHS Birmingham and Solihull and NHS Black Country board papers (June 2026); Public Health Scotland (30 June 2026); Welsh Government statistics (July 2026); Department of Health Northern Ireland (30 June 2026). Figures change monthly and each nation measures waits differently. Patient rights described apply in England unless stated. Insurer terms vary, so check directly with insurers. If you are worried about symptoms, speak to your GP or NHS 111; in an emergency call 999 or go to A&E. Going Private UK is not affiliated with the NHS or any provider named. If you compare insurance quotes through this site, we may receive a commission from our FCA-regulated partners at no cost to you; this does not influence our guides.
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