North West · NHS Data Updated Weekly

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

NHS waiting times across 24 specialties at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, North West.

In General Medicine, the shortest reported wait here is 8 weeks, and 8 out of 10 patients are seen within 13 weeks. The 8-in-10 figure matters more than the average: it tells you how long a typical patient actually waits, rather than a number a handful of very short or very long waits can pull around.

Data sourced from NHS England RTT statistics and refreshed weekly. Green badges indicate waits below the national average for that specialty.

24

Specialties reported

8w

Shortest wait

North West

Region

Departments at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Larger trusts split a department into sub-specialty teams, and each team reports its own waiting list. If a sub-specialty here is quicker than the main department, it is worth asking your GP which list your operation would actually go on.

General surgery

General Surgery: 33w

Hernias, gallbladder, bowel and abdominal operations. Larger trusts split these into sub-specialty teams, and the same operation can sit on a different list depending on which team takes it.

Bones, joints and spine

Orthopaedics: 19w

Hip and knee replacements, shoulder and foot surgery, back and neck problems, arthritis and long-term pain.

Heart and chest

Cardiology: 21w

Heart conditions and the operations that treat them, plus lung and chest surgery.

This trust reports one combined list for this department.

Stomach, bowel and liver

Gastroenterology: 25w

Medical gut and liver care, including camera tests. The surgical side sits under general surgery.

This trust reports one combined list for this department.

Ear, nose and throat

Ear, Nose and Throat: 28w

Hearing, sinuses, tonsils, and balance problems.

This trust reports one combined list for this department.

Eyes

Ophthalmology: 31w

Cataracts, glaucoma, retinal conditions and eyelid surgery.

This trust reports one combined list for this department.

Women's health

Gynaecology: 18w

Periods, fibroids, endometriosis, prolapse and menopause care.

This trust reports one combined list for this department.

Kidneys and urinary

Urology: 23w

Bladder, kidney and prostate problems, stones and kidney disease.

Brain and nerves

Neurology: 24w

Neurological conditions and the surgery that treats them.

Skin

Dermatology: 25w

Skin conditions, lesion removal and reconstructive surgery.

Lungs and breathing

Respiratory: 9w

Breathlessness, asthma, COPD, sleep apnoea and lung function testing.

This trust reports one combined list for this department.

Cancer and blood

Cancer treatment and blood disorders.

Hormones and metabolism

Endocrinology: 21w

Thyroid, diabetes and other hormonal and metabolic conditions.

This trust reports one combined list for this department.

Mouth, jaw and face

Oral Surgery: 32w

Wisdom teeth, jaw and facial surgery, braces and specialist dentistry. These are separate treatment functions from general surgery, and the waits are often very different.

Children's services

Paediatrics: 13w

Paediatric teams run their own lists, separate from the adult department of the same name. A child's wait is not the adult wait.

This trust reports one combined list for this department.

Other services

Departments that do not sit under a larger surgical or medical grouping.

Waiting times by specialty at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

SpecialtyTreatment wait
General Medicine8w
Haematology8w
Respiratory9w
Colorectal12w
Paediatrics13w
Plastic Surgery17w
Gynaecology18w
Orthopaedics19w
Cardiology21w
Endocrinology21w
Orthodontics21w
Renal22w
Urology23w
Neurology24w
Rheumatology24w
Dermatology25w
Gastroenterology25w
Pain Management25w
Neurosurgery26w
Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery26w
Ear, Nose and Throat28w
Ophthalmology31w
Oral Surgery32w
General Surgery33w

Shorter waits near Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

These NHS providers in North West currently report a shorter wait than Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust for the same specialty. You have a legal right to ask your GP to refer you to any of them.

SpecialtyFaster providerTheir waitYou could save
General SurgeryTameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust8w25w
OphthalmologyBlackpool Spamedica7w24w
DermatologyTameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust3w22w
GastroenterologyAccrington CHEC5w20w
Ear, Nose and ThroatTameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust10w18w
UrologyCheshire Hospital - Spire5w18w

Your right to choose this hospital

Under the NHS Constitution and the NHS Choice Framework, you are entitled to ask your GP to refer you to Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust for your first outpatient appointment in any of the specialties listed above. Your GP should facilitate this through the NHS e-Referral Service. If Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust appears on e-RS for your specialty, you can book your appointment there directly.

If you are already waiting at a different hospital and would prefer Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, ask your GP to redirect your referral. We will write the letter for you, free.

Where these figures come from

Waiting times for Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (nhs) are published by the provider and derived from NHS England Referral to Treatment statistics, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The provider last updated these figures on 29 May 2026. You can check them at the source: Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust waiting times. Figures describe published waiting times and are not medical advice. Always consult your GP before changing your care arrangements.

Search all hospitals near you

Enter your postcode to compare every hospital by distance and wait time.

Search hospitals