How many people on the hospital waiting list have waited 18 weeks or less?
At the end of August 2026, 65% of the 7,158,164 people on the hospital waiting list in England had waited 18 weeks or less.
Applies to: August 2026
In a chart and a table
| Treatment area | 18 weeks or less |
|---|---|
| General surgery384,427 waiting | 63% |
| Urology366,130 waiting | 65% |
| Trauma and orthopaedics843,419 waiting | 61% |
| Ear, nose and throat589,316 waiting | 57% |
| Eyes (ophthalmology)622,784 waiting | 72% |
| Oral surgery315,652 waiting | 54% |
| Neurosurgery53,980 waiting | 62% |
| Plastic surgery108,674 waiting | 59% |
| Heart and chest surgery (cardiothoracic)8,551 waiting | 74% |
| General internal medicine28,907 waiting | 74% |
| Gastroenterology357,430 waiting | 70% |
| Cardiology360,799 waiting | 68% |
| Dermatology422,625 waiting | 69% |
| Respiratory medicine182,132 waiting | 74% |
| Neurology205,335 waiting | 62% |
| Rheumatology118,118 waiting | 70% |
| Elderly medicine27,386 waiting | 84% |
| Gynaecology585,378 waiting | 60% |
| Other medical services620,378 waiting | 70% |
| Other mental health services3,347 waiting | 82% |
| Other services for children321,302 waiting | 66% |
| Other surgical services473,107 waiting | 67% |
| Other services158,987 waiting | 76% |
How did we work it out?
NHS England counts the people still waiting for hospital treatment at the end of the month, by how many weeks they have waited so far. We take those who have waited 18 weeks or less and divide by everyone on the list.
It counts people still waiting, not people who have been treated, so it is a snapshot of the list. England as a whole includes the independent sector. The treatment areas are in NHS England’s order, not ranked.
Where does the figure come from?
- Referral to Treatment (RTT) Waiting Times: (published 8 October 2026)
- Contains public sector information from NHS England licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: Referral to Treatment (RTT) Waiting Times, monthly.
More questions
- How many people start cancer treatment within 62 days?
- How many people are seen within 4 hours in A&E?
- How long do patients wait for a GP appointment?