Waiting times for appointments
Waiting times for appointments
We are experiencing a significant backlog in appointments for some of our services following our response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Please be assured that we are doing everything in our power to work through our lists to give you the help that you need. We are making good progress and have significantly reduced the number of patients classed as long waiters.
You can take a look at the current waiting times for our services below:
| Last updated: 27/11/24 | Referral Waits | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Terminology | Urgent | Routine |
| Cardiology (heart conditions) | 35-40wks | 40-45wks |
| Cardiology technicians (heart tests) | 30-35wks | 45-50wks |
| Diabetic medicine | 10-15wks | 10-15wks |
| Endocrinology (hormones) | 10-15wks | 20-25wks |
| Gastroenterology (digestive system) | 20-25wks | 20-25wks |
| Geriatric medicine (older persons) | 0wks | 5-10wks |
| Hepatology (liver) | 20-25wks | 30-35wks |
| Nephrology (kidneys) | 5-10wks | 40-45wks |
| Neurology (brain/spinal cord) | 30-35wks | 40-45wks |
| Respiratory medicine (chest and lungs) | 40-45wks | 40-45wks |
| Rheumatology (immune disorders) | 5-10wks | 5-10wks |
| Sleep studies | 20-25wks | 20-25wks |
| Clinical immunology and allergy | 20-25wks | 30-35wks |
| Chemical pathology (monitoring of bodily fluids) | 40-45wks | |
| Audiological medicine (hearing and balance) | 5-10wks | 30-35wks |
| Audiology (hearing tests) | 5-10wks | 5-10wks |
| Breast surgery | 0wks | 10-15wks |
| Ear, nose and throat | 5-10wks | 40-45wks |
| General surgery (hernias/lumps and bumps) | 10-15wks | 10-15wks |
| Gynaecological oncology | 0-5wks | 0-5wks |
| Maxillo-facial surgery (jaw/mouth/face surgery) | 5-10wks | 40-45wks |
| Medical ophthalmology (treatment of eye disorders) | 1-5wks | 15-20wks |
| Ophthalmology (eye disorder treatment and surgery) | 5-10wks | 30-35wks |
| Optometry | 20-25wks | |
| Orthodontics (straightening of teeth) | 1-5wks | 1-5wks |
| Orthoptics (diagnosis of defects in eye movement) | 10-15wks | 20-25wks |
| Pain management | 30-35wks | 30-35wks |
| Plastic surgery | 10-15wks | 10-15wks |
| Trauma and orthopaedics | 10-15wks | 50-55wks |
| Urology (kidneys, ureters, bladders and prostate disorders) | 10-15wks | 20-25wks |
| Gynaecology | 15-20wks | 15-20wks |
| Paediatrics (not covered in the list below) | 10-15wks | 10-15wks |
| Paediatrics - dermatology | 5-10wks | 15-20wks |
| Paediatrics - cardiology (children's heart conditions) | 5-10wks | 15-20wks |
| Paediatrics - clinical immunology and allergy | 5-10wks | 30-35wks |
| Paediatrics - endocrinology (childrens' hormone conditions) | 1-5wks | 15-20wks |
| Paediatric - epilepsy | 1-5wks | 1-5wks |
| Paediatrics - gastroenterology (childrens' digestive systems) | 10-15wks | 20-25wks |
| Paediatrics - nephrology (childrens' kidney conditions) | 1-5wks | 15-20wks |
| Paediatrics - child development | 1-5wks | 20-25wks |
| Paediatrics - rheumatology (childrens' immune disorders) | 10-15wks | 20-25wks |
| Paediatrics - surgery (childrens' hernias, lumps and bumps) | 20-25wks | 20-25wks |
| Paediatrics - trauma and Orthopaedics | 10-15wks | 20-25wks |
| Paediatrics - urology | 1-5wks | 1-5wks |
| Paediatrics - diabetic medicine | 10-15wks | 10-15wks |
Unless there has been a change in your symptoms, please do not contact your GP for an update on waiting times, or to ask them to speed up the process.
If you have any concerns or questions please use the contact details on your hospital letter, or if you do not have a letter with these contact details, our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can answer your queries. However, please note that the team cannot access this information about appointment waiting times directly, limiting the speed of their response.
We are working as hard as we can to serve our community and will be in touch with you as soon as we can.
Thank you for your understanding.