Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
NHS waiting times across 25 specialties at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London.
In Breast, the shortest reported wait here is 3 weeks, and 8 out of 10 patients are seen within 3 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.
25
Specialties reported
3w
Shortest wait
London
Region
Departments at Royal Free London 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: 40wHernias, 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: 30wHip and knee replacements, shoulder and foot surgery, back and neck problems, arthritis and long-term pain.
Heart and chest
Cardiology: 20wHeart 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: 19wMedical gut and liver care, including camera tests. The surgical side sits under general surgery.
Ear, nose and throat
Ear, Nose and Throat: 25wHearing, sinuses, tonsils, and balance problems.
This trust reports one combined list for this department.
Eyes
Ophthalmology: 18wCataracts, glaucoma, retinal conditions and eyelid surgery.
This trust reports one combined list for this department.
Women's health
Gynaecology: 23wPeriods, fibroids, endometriosis, prolapse and menopause care.
This trust reports one combined list for this department.
Kidneys and urinary
Urology: 22wBladder, kidney and prostate problems, stones and kidney disease.
Brain and nerves
Neurology: 27wNeurological conditions and the surgery that treats them.
This trust reports one combined list for this department.
Lungs and breathing
Respiratory: 14wBreathlessness, asthma, COPD, sleep apnoea and lung function testing.
This trust reports one combined list for this department.
Hormones and metabolism
Endocrinology: 17wThyroid, diabetes and other hormonal and metabolic conditions.
This trust reports one combined list for this department.
Mouth, jaw and face
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: 14wPaediatric teams run their own lists, separate from the adult department of the same name. A child's wait is not the adult wait.
Waiting times by specialty at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
| Specialty | Treatment wait | vs national avg | 8 in 10 wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breast | 3w | 1w below | 3w |
| Haematology | 13w | 3w above | 22w |
| Paediatrics | 14w | 2w above | 21w |
| Renal | 14w | 1w above | 19w |
| Respiratory | 14w | At average | 23w |
| Dermatology | 16w | 3w above | 26w |
| Endocrinology | 17w | 2w below | 38w |
| Colorectal | 18w | 2w above | 44w |
| Ophthalmology | 18w | 5w above | 31w |
| Gastroenterology | 19w | 4w above | 31w |
| Hepatology | 19w | At average | 32w |
| Cardiology | 20w | 2w above | 33w |
| Urology | 22w | 5w above | 50w |
| Gynaecology | 23w | 4w above | 46w |
| Maxillofacial Surgery | 23w | 3w above | 41w |
| Plastic Surgery | 24w | 4w above | 46w |
| Ear, Nose and Throat | 25w | 5w above | 45w |
| Neurology | 27w | 4w above | 41w |
| Rheumatology | 27w | 11w above | 46w |
| Paediatric Surgery | 29w | 10w above | 35w |
| Orthopaedics | 30w | 9w above | 50w |
| Orthodontics | 33w | 10w above | 43w |
| Vascular | 35w | 13w above | 46w |
| General Surgery | 40w | 21w above | 55w |
| Pain Management | 40w | 14w above | 60w |
Shorter waits near Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
These NHS providers in London currently report a shorter wait than Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust for the same specialty. You have a legal right to ask your GP to refer you to any of them.
| Specialty | Faster provider | Their wait | You could save |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Surgery | Highgate Hospital (London) - Nuffield | 7w | 33w |
| Pain Management | Highgate Hospital (London) - Nuffield | 11w | 29w |
| Orthodontics | Guy’s and St Thomas` NHS Foundation Trust | 8w | 25w |
| Paediatric Surgery | Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust | 5w | 24w |
| Orthopaedics | Highgate Hospital (London) - Nuffield | 7w | 23w |
| Rheumatology | Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 4w | 23w |
Compare with other hospitals in London
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 Royal Free London 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 Royal Free London 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 Royal Free London 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 Royal Free London 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: Royal Free London 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.