Last updated with NHS England data for August 2026. How we update

Geriatric Medicine Waiting Times Across the NHS

The NHS Geriatric Medicine waiting list in England has 27,289 patients currently waiting for treatment, with a typical wait of around 7 weeks across 107 hospitals. In practice, Geriatric Medicine waiting times range from about 2 weeks at the fastest hospital to 19 weeks at the slowest. From GP referral to first Geriatric Medicine appointment, most patients (92%) are seen within about 20 weeks; the NHS constitutional target is 18 weeks. 90 patients have been on the Geriatric Medicine waiting list for more than a year. Waits for Geriatric Medicine haven't really changed since August 2025.

12-month change

Then vs now nationally

Aug 25→Aug 26
Typical wait
7.1weeks
â–¼ -0.3 wks
How long most people wait
Seen in 18 weeks
9in 10
â–² +1.3 pts
NHS aims to see everyone this fast
People waiting
27k
â–² +1.5k
On the waiting list right now
Waiting over a year
90
â–² +53
Been on the list for 12+ months
107
Hospitals you could choose from
7 weeks
How long most people wait
9 in 10
Seen within 18 weeks
90
Have waited over a year

Common reasons for referral

Falls assessment and prevention
Dementia assessment
Frailty management
Mobility problems
Medication review
Delirium investigation
Osteoporosis
Continence assessment
End-of-life care planning

National trend

Average geriatric medicine wait across England, month by month.

â–¼ -0.3 wks

All hospitals

Hospital Region Wait Within 18 Wks 52+ Wk
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 2 wks
97.2%
-
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust London London 2 wks
100.0%
-
Isle Of Wight NHS Trust South East South East 2 wks
100.0%
-
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust North West North West 3 wks
100.0%
-
Medway NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 3 wks
98.4%
-
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 3 wks
96.5%
-
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 3 wks
100.0%
-
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust London London 4 wks
95.0%
-
Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 4 wks
97.5%
-
East Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 4 wks
97.8%
-
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 4 wks
91.9%
-
Barts Health NHS Trust London London 4 wks
98.3%
-
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 4 wks
98.5%
-
University Hospitals Coventry And Warwickshire NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 4 wks
98.4%
-
Sandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 4 wks
100.0%
-
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 4 wks
94.0%
-
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 4 wks
95.3%
-
University Hospitals Of North Midlands NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 4 wks
98.0%
-
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 5 wks
90.4%
-
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 5 wks
97.4%
-
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 5 wks
94.6%
-
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 5 wks
95.7%
-
The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 5 wks
95.2%
-
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 5 wks
97.1%
-
Guy's And St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust London London 5 wks
93.5%
2
Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 5 wks
93.5%
-
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 5 wks
96.5%
-
Doncaster And Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 5 wks
91.8%
-
Harrogate And District NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 5 wks
90.8%
-
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 5 wks
96.4%
-
Maidstone And Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust South East South East 5 wks
97.9%
-
University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 5 wks
96.2%
-
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 5 wks
88.2%
-
Portsmouth Hospitals University National Health Service Trust South East South East 5 wks
90.4%
2
Dorking Healthcare Limited (Dhc) South East South East 6 wks
100.0%
-
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 6 wks
99.7%
-
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 6 wks
97.6%
-
University Hospitals Bristol And Weston NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 6 wks
95.7%
-
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 6 wks
97.1%
-
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 6 wks
83.8%
-
Royal Devon And Exeter NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 6 wks
88.1%
-
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust East of England East of England 6 wks
94.4%
-
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 6 wks
97.6%
-
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 6 wks
94.9%
-
Norfolk And Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 6 wks
94.5%
-
Whittington Health NHS Trust London London 6 wks
100.0%
-
University Hospitals Of Derby And Burton NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 6 wks
92.5%
-
York And Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 6 wks
95.4%
-
South Tyneside And Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 6 wks
86.6%
-
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust South West South West 6 wks
91.3%
-
Countess Of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 6 wks
88.0%
-
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 7 wks
94.6%
-
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 7 wks
90.2%
-
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust London London 7 wks
81.7%
-
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 7 wks
97.2%
-
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 7 wks
90.2%
-
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 7 wks
90.7%
-
Barking, Havering And Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust London London 7 wks
94.2%
-
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 7 wks
82.4%
-
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust London London 7 wks
95.7%
-
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 7 wks
88.2%
-
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 7 wks
98.2%
-
Mid And South Essex NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 7 wks
86.7%
1
Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 8 wks
94.5%
-
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 8 wks
98.4%
-
University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 8 wks
89.9%
-
South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 8 wks
93.0%
-
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 8 wks
83.2%
-
Lewisham And Greenwich NHS Trust London London 8 wks
98.7%
-
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust East of England East of England 8 wks
91.3%
-
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 8 wks
77.9%
-
County Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
87.4%
-
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 8 wks
87.2%
-
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 8 wks
82.1%
-
The Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 8 wks
100.0%
-
Dartford And Gravesham NHS Trust South East South East 8 wks
89.2%
-
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
73.6%
-
The Robert Jones And Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 8 wks
100.0%
-
North Tees And Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
91.1%
-
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 8 wks
87.6%
-
East And North Hertfordshire NHS Trust East of England East of England 8 wks
81.4%
-
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 9 wks
90.2%
-
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 9 wks
95.2%
-
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
93.1%
-
Northern Lincolnshire And Goole NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 9 wks
87.8%
1
St Helens And Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North West North West 9 wks
83.8%
1
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 10 wks
81.6%
-
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 10 wks
70.9%
1
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 10 wks
66.7%
7
University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 10 wks
80.5%
-
Calderdale And Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 10 wks
78.4%
-
Ashford And St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 10 wks
79.7%
-
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 10 wks
71.9%
-
Wye Valley NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 10 wks
79.2%
-
East Cheshire NHS Trust North West North West 10 wks
80.0%
-
Chelsea And Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 11 wks
85.7%
-
Wrightington, Wigan And Leigh NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 11 wks
69.7%
1
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 11 wks
68.4%
2
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 11 wks
78.3%
-
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 11 wks
73.3%
1
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 12 wks
64.0%
-
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 12 wks
67.7%
-
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 12 wks
66.0%
-
Epsom And St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust London London 12 wks
67.8%
2
Surrey And Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 14 wks
69.1%
-
Warrington And Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 14 wks
61.9%
-
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 19 wks
48.2%
69

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the NHS Geriatric Medicine waiting list?

The NHS Geriatric Medicine waiting list in England has about 27,289 patients currently waiting for treatment. The typical wait is around 7 weeks (nearly 2 months), based on data from 107 hospitals. Waiting times vary significantly between hospitals, so it's worth comparing your options before accepting a referral.

How long will I wait to see a geriatrician on the NHS?

The headline NHS waiting time is the wait from your GP's referral to your first outpatient appointment, which is the first time you actually see a geriatrician. Nationally this currently averages about 7 weeks. In our data it ranges from as short as 2 weeks at the fastest hospital to 19 weeks at the slowest, so where you are referred matters. Any tests, procedures or treatment that follow that first appointment may have their own waits on top.

What percentage of Geriatric Medicine patients are seen within 18 weeks?

Across the NHS, 89% of Geriatric Medicine patients are currently seen within the 18-week target. The NHS constitutional standard is 92%.

Can I choose which hospital I'm referred to?

Yes. Under the NHS Constitution, patients in England have the right to choose which hospital they are referred to for a first outpatient appointment. You can use WaitRadar to compare waiting times and discuss your options with your GP.

Source: NHS England RTT statistics. about our methodology

This is informational data, not medical advice. Always discuss referral options with your GP. Full disclaimer.