Paediatrics Waiting Times Across the NHS

The NHS Paediatrics waiting list in England has 325,891 patients currently waiting for treatment, with a typical wait of around 11 weeks across 117 hospitals. In practice, Paediatrics waiting times range from about 3 weeks at the fastest hospital to 21 weeks at the slowest. From GP referral to first Paediatrics appointment, most patients (92%) are seen within about 31 weeks; the NHS constitutional target is 18 weeks. 4,185 patients have been on the Paediatrics waiting list for more than a year. Waits for Paediatrics are about 1 week shorter than in June 2025.

12-month change

Then vs now nationally

Jun 25→Jun 26
Typical wait
11.1weeks
â–¼ -1 wks
How long most people wait
Seen in 18 weeks
7in 10
â–² +4.3 pts
NHS aims to see everyone this fast
People waiting
326k
â–¼ -2.2k
On the waiting list right now
Waiting over a year
4.2k
â–¼ -4.8k
Been on the list for 12+ months
117
Hospitals you could choose from
11 weeks
How long most people wait
7 in 10
Seen within 18 weeks
4.2k
Have waited over a year

Common reasons for referral

Developmental assessments
Childhood asthma
Growth concerns
Behavioural assessments (ADHD, autism)
Paediatric allergies
Childhood eczema
Recurrent infections
Bed-wetting (enuresis)

National trend

Average paediatrics wait across England, month by month.

â–¼ -1 wks

All hospitals

Hospital Region Wait Within 18 Wks 52+ Wk
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 3 wks
98.9%
-
Dartford And Gravesham NHS Trust South East South East 4 wks
98.6%
-
Hampshire And Isle Of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 4 wks
100.0%
-
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 5 wks
92.9%
-
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust East of England East of England 5 wks
94.9%
-
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust South East South East 6 wks
95.7%
-
Harrogate And District NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 6 wks
91.8%
-
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 6 wks
93.2%
-
Mersey And West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North West North West 6 wks
88.6%
1
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 6 wks
83.3%
-
University Hospitals Of North Midlands NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 6 wks
80.8%
27
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 6 wks
86.5%
-
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 6 wks
100.0%
-
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust London London 7 wks
90.4%
1
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 8 wks
83.0%
15
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 8 wks
82.6%
-
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 8 wks
89.3%
-
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
96.7%
-
Tameside And Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 8 wks
82.3%
-
Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust London London 8 wks
87.1%
4
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust London London 8 wks
83.7%
5
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 8 wks
69.8%
17
Doncaster And Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
83.3%
1
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust London London 8 wks
83.3%
-
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 8 wks
97.0%
-
Guy's And St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust London London 8 wks
82.3%
18
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 8 wks
77.3%
12
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust South West South West 8 wks
85.1%
2
Lewisham And Greenwich NHS Trust London London 8 wks
88.3%
2
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
75.6%
52
Surrey And Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 8 wks
81.4%
-
University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 9 wks
72.7%
52
The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 9 wks
84.5%
-
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 9 wks
77.0%
27
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 9 wks
77.1%
2
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust North West North West 9 wks
83.6%
-
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
82.4%
13
Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
78.3%
5
Calderdale And Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 9 wks
85.2%
-
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
86.0%
-
Wye Valley NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
72.7%
-
Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 9 wks
80.8%
-
Kingston And Richmond NHS Foundation Trust London London 9 wks
68.7%
28
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 9 wks
79.0%
2
Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 9 wks
74.5%
141
North Cheshire And Mersey NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 9 wks
73.2%
6
Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
73.2%
14
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 10 wks
74.3%
6
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 10 wks
86.9%
-
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 10 wks
84.6%
-
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 10 wks
71.4%
-
Sandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 10 wks
69.8%
38
South Tyneside And Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 10 wks
76.9%
-
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 10 wks
72.7%
5
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 10 wks
72.0%
5
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 10 wks
72.4%
7
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 10 wks
69.7%
89
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust East of England East of England 11 wks
73.5%
12
Barking, Havering And Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust London London 11 wks
82.9%
-
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 11 wks
75.4%
-
Ashford And St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 11 wks
70.0%
4
The Robert Jones And Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 11 wks
73.9%
1
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 11 wks
70.9%
-
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 11 wks
69.0%
10
University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 11 wks
75.9%
1
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 11 wks
69.1%
59
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 11 wks
69.2%
221
Medway NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 11 wks
76.0%
-
Birmingham Women's And Children's NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 11 wks
66.9%
42
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 11 wks
74.4%
-
Epsom And St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust London London 12 wks
67.1%
30
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 12 wks
65.7%
8
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 12 wks
65.5%
-
Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Foundation Trust London London 12 wks
68.1%
227
East Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 12 wks
67.2%
-
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 12 wks
65.3%
35
Norfolk And Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 12 wks
67.4%
76
University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 12 wks
65.5%
97
The Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 12 wks
75.9%
-
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 12 wks
68.7%
-
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 12 wks
67.2%
-
East Cheshire NHS Trust North West North West 12 wks
68.7%
-
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 13 wks
64.2%
206
Chelsea And Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 13 wks
68.6%
34
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 13 wks
70.7%
-
Wrightington, Wigan And Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 13 wks
62.2%
63
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 13 wks
62.5%
62
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 13 wks
62.7%
134
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 14 wks
65.4%
7
Maidstone And Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust South East South East 14 wks
61.6%
5
County Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
63.1%
90
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust London London 14 wks
61.6%
104
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
63.0%
312
University Hospitals Bristol And Weston NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 14 wks
59.3%
345
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust South West South West 14 wks
58.6%
2
University Hospitals Of Derby And Burton NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 14 wks
58.5%
16
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 14 wks
59.5%
33
United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 14 wks
59.8%
1
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 15 wks
56.7%
132
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 15 wks
57.9%
33
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 15 wks
58.5%
75
North Tees And Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 16 wks
57.4%
-
Barts Health NHS Trust London London 16 wks
55.7%
290
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 16 wks
54.6%
3
Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 16 wks
56.3%
2
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 17 wks
52.6%
3
University Hospitals Coventry And Warwickshire NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 17 wks
52.6%
51
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 17 wks
52.6%
5
Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 17 wks
52.1%
3
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 17 wks
52.1%
14
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 18 wks
51.6%
15
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 18 wks
48.8%
-
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 19 wks
43.0%
19
Northern Lincolnshire And Goole NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 20 wks
46.3%
6
Mid And South Essex NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 21 wks
43.8%
610
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust London London 21 wks
40.8%
65
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 21 wks
46.3%
25

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the NHS Paediatrics waiting list?

The NHS Paediatrics waiting list in England has about 325,891 patients currently waiting for treatment. The typical wait is around 11 weeks (2½ months), based on data from 117 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 paediatrician 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 paediatrician. Nationally this currently averages about 11 weeks. In our data it ranges from as short as 3 weeks at the fastest hospital to 21 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 Paediatrics patients are seen within 18 weeks?

Across the NHS, 72% of Paediatrics 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.