NHS Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Service Waiting Times

What Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Service covers

Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery — often shortened to HPB — covers the liver, bile ducts, gallbladder and pancreas. It handles complex gallbladder and bile duct problems, pancreatic conditions and liver surgery. It is a specialist service, so not every hospital runs one, and the hospitals that do often draw patients from a wide area. If your gallbladder operation is straightforward it may be quicker on the General Surgery or Upper Gastrointestinal list instead.

People are usually referred here for

• Complex gallstones or bile duct problems
• Pancreatitis or a pancreatic condition
• A liver lesion found on a scan
• Jaundice needing a surgical opinion
• Gallbladder surgery referred to a specialist team

Were you referred somewhere else?

The same problem is sometimes handled by a different department, and the wait can be very different. Check these too:

Your right to choose a Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Service hospital

Under the NHS Constitution and the Health Act 2009, you have a legal right to choose which NHS or NHS-commissioned independent sector provider sees you for your first outpatient Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Service appointment.

Your GP must refer you via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) and offer you at least five choices. If you have already been referred to a hospital with a long wait, you can ask your GP to re-refer you to a provider with a shorter wait. This is entirely within your rights.

Research shows the average extra distance to a significantly shorter wait is just 13 miles.