NHS Orthopaedics Waiting Times
The average NHS Orthopaedics wait in England is 18 weeks, but it ranges from 5 weeks at Epsomedical Epsom to 27 weeks elsewhere. That gap is yours to use — you have a legal right to choose where you are treated.
What Orthopaedics covers
Orthopaedics — often written as Trauma & Orthopaedics — covers bones, joints, ligaments and tendons. It is where hip and knee replacements, shoulder and ankle surgery, carpal tunnel releases and most sports injuries are done. It is the largest surgical waiting list in the NHS, and the gap between the fastest and slowest hospital is often more than 40 weeks.
People are usually referred here for
- Hip or knee replacement
- Shoulder, elbow, hand or foot surgery
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Torn cartilage, ligament or tendon
- Arthritis that needs a joint replaced
- A fracture that has not healed properly
18w
Avg treatment wait
5w
Shortest wait
27w
Longest wait
200
Hospitals reporting
Find the shortest Orthopaedics wait near you
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Shortest Orthopaedics waits in England
| # | Hospital | Region | Avg treatment wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Epsomedical Epsom | South East | 5w |
| 02 | St Marys Portsmouth Practice Plus Group | South East | 7w |
| 03 | The Runnymede Hospital - Circle | South East | 7w |
| 04 | The Clementine Churchill Hospital - Circle | London | 7w |
| 05 | Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 7w |
| 06 | Highgate Hospital (London) - Nuffield | London | 7w |
| 07 | Alexandra Hospital - Spire | South East | 8w |
| 08 | Gloucester Independent Health Group | South West | 8w |
| 09 | Bishops Wood Hospital - Circle | London | 8w |
| 10 | The Kings Oak Hospital - Circle | London | 8w |
Average Orthopaedics wait by region
Procedures treated under Orthopaedics
Waiting lists are recorded by specialty, so all of these share the Orthopaedics wait times above.
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 Orthopaedics 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 Orthopaedics 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.
Read the full Orthopaedics Right to Choose guide →Ready to find a shorter Orthopaedics wait?
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