NHS waiting times, compared
How does the wait for one NHS specialty stack up against another? Each guide puts two treatment functions side by side on the same NHS England RTT release (April 2026) — median wait, 18-week performance and list size — so the comparison is like-for-like.
Ophthalmology vs Ear Nose and Throat
Ophthalmology is shorter — 9.7 weeks vs 14.1 weeks median.
Trauma and Orthopaedic vs Rheumatology
Rheumatology is shorter — 10.6 weeks vs 13.9 weeks median.
Dermatology vs Plastic Surgery
Dermatology is shorter — 11.2 weeks vs 14.3 weeks median.
Cardiology vs Respiratory Medicine
Respiratory Medicine is shorter — 9.7 weeks vs 11.4 weeks median.
Gastroenterology vs General Surgery
Gastroenterology is shorter — 11.1 weeks vs 12.7 weeks median.
Cardiology vs Cardiothoracic Surgery
Cardiothoracic Surgery is shorter — 9.9 weeks vs 11.4 weeks median.
Trauma and Orthopaedic vs General Surgery
General Surgery is shorter — 12.7 weeks vs 13.9 weeks median.
Ear Nose and Throat vs Oral Surgery
Ear Nose and Throat is shorter — 14.1 weeks vs 15.2 weeks median.
Gynaecology vs Urology
Urology is shorter — 12.2 weeks vs 13.3 weeks median.
Neurology vs Neurosurgical
Neurosurgical is shorter — 12.7 weeks vs 13.5 weeks median.
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 (April 2026, published June 2026). Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. This directory is not affiliated with NHS England.
Editorial data review: figures on this page are drawn directly from the official public source cited here and were cross-checked against that source at publication; derived values (percentages, medians, index scores) are computed from those published figures using the stated methodology — nothing is estimated or invented. Last reviewed: 2 July 2026. This page is general information, not medical advice.
Informational/educational only — not a substitute for professional medical advice; a clinician interprets results.