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

Plastic Surgery Waiting Times Across the NHS

The NHS Plastic Surgery waiting list in England has 108,578 patients currently waiting for treatment, with a typical wait of around 12 weeks across 92 hospitals. In practice, Plastic Surgery waiting times range from about 4 weeks at the fastest hospital to 25 weeks at the slowest. From GP referral to first Plastic Surgery appointment, most patients (92%) are seen within about 36 weeks; the NHS constitutional target is 18 weeks. 3,518 patients have been on the Plastic Surgery waiting list for more than a year. Waits for Plastic Surgery are about 2.1 weeks shorter than in August 2025.

12-month change

Then vs now nationally

Aug 25→Aug 26
Typical wait
12weeks
â–¼ -2.1 wks
How long most people wait
Seen in 18 weeks
7in 10
â–² +5.8 pts
NHS aims to see everyone this fast
People waiting
109k
â–² +6.4k
On the waiting list right now
Waiting over a year
3.5k
â–¼ -677
Been on the list for 12+ months
92
Hospitals you could choose from
12 weeks
How long most people wait
7 in 10
Seen within 18 weeks
3.5k
Have waited over a year

Common reasons for referral

Skin cancer removal and reconstruction
Breast reconstruction
Hand surgery
Scar revision
Burns treatment
Skin graft surgery
Dupuytren's contracture release
Prominent ear correction

National trend

Average plastic surgery wait across England, month by month.

â–¼ -2.1 wks

All hospitals

Hospital Region Wait Within 18 Wks 52+ Wk
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 4 wks
98.8%
-
Tees Valley Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 5 wks
94.4%
1
Cotswolds Surgical Partners South West South West 5 wks
96.2%
-
University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 5 wks
95.3%
-
Spire Elland Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 6 wks
87.0%
-
Ashford And St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 6 wks
90.5%
-
Spire Cheshire Hospital North West North West 6 wks
79.4%
-
Somerset Surgical Services HQ South West South West 6 wks
96.6%
-
East Cheshire NHS Trust North West North West 6 wks
96.8%
-
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 7 wks
92.4%
-
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 7 wks
87.6%
1
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust London London 7 wks
82.0%
1
Spire Methley Park Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 7 wks
83.3%
-
Lewisham And Greenwich NHS Trust London London 7 wks
78.3%
1
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 7 wks
79.3%
-
Countess Of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 7 wks
76.7%
10
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 8 wks
80.3%
2
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 8 wks
75.9%
-
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 8 wks
76.8%
3
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 8 wks
67.3%
6
University Hospitals Of Derby And Burton NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 8 wks
78.2%
5
Spire Leeds Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
82.0%
-
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 8 wks
87.7%
-
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 8 wks
91.7%
-
University Hospitals Of North Midlands NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
75.7%
2
East And North Hertfordshire NHS Trust East of England East of England 9 wks
72.7%
63
Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 9 wks
78.5%
-
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 9 wks
75.6%
4
Tyneside Surgical Services Ltd North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 9 wks
86.1%
-
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
67.4%
2
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 9 wks
79.0%
-
The Yorkshire Clinic North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 9 wks
74.7%
1
University Hospitals Bristol And Weston NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 9 wks
68.7%
26
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 10 wks
73.7%
-
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 10 wks
66.6%
4
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust London London 10 wks
93.0%
-
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 10 wks
68.8%
5
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 10 wks
77.4%
-
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 10 wks
73.9%
18
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 10 wks
69.4%
14
Royal Devon And Exeter NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 10 wks
71.5%
12
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 11 wks
69.6%
5
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 11 wks
69.5%
50
Wye Valley NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 11 wks
68.8%
-
County Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 11 wks
65.1%
46
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 11 wks
65.9%
3
East Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 12 wks
69.0%
-
Spire London East London London 12 wks
69.1%
-
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 12 wks
64.2%
3
University Hospitals Coventry And Warwickshire NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 12 wks
63.1%
2
Cobalt Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 12 wks
68.1%
7
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 12 wks
62.9%
48
Epsomedical Group South East South East 12 wks
71.8%
11
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 12 wks
66.4%
-
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 12 wks
62.5%
-
Calderdale And Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 13 wks
64.3%
-
Healthshare Diagnostics East of England East of England 13 wks
68.5%
-
Nuffield Health Parkside Hospital London London 13 wks
59.7%
16
Portsmouth Hospitals University National Health Service Trust South East South East 13 wks
62.6%
14
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust London London 14 wks
62.1%
18
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
59.6%
125
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 14 wks
60.3%
159
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 14 wks
59.9%
-
Nuffield Health, Plymouth Hospital South West South West 14 wks
75.0%
1
York And Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
61.9%
4
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 14 wks
59.5%
16
Exeter Medical South West South West 14 wks
69.6%
-
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 15 wks
58.1%
5
Sandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 15 wks
60.9%
1
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 15 wks
55.0%
54
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust London London 16 wks
57.3%
2
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 16 wks
55.4%
15
Barts Health NHS Trust London London 16 wks
55.7%
67
Spire Thames Valley Hospital South East South East 16 wks
54.0%
1
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust London London 16 wks
59.5%
7
Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 16 wks
54.0%
1
University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 17 wks
53.6%
40
Chelsea And Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 17 wks
51.9%
148
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 17 wks
51.9%
9
Whittington Health NHS Trust London London 17 wks
52.8%
-
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 17 wks
55.6%
-
St Helens And Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North West North West 18 wks
50.7%
267
Guy's And St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust London London 19 wks
48.5%
155
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 19 wks
48.5%
265
Norfolk And Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 19 wks
47.0%
55
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 20 wks
46.1%
89
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 20 wks
45.8%
11
South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 21 wks
44.0%
33
Mid And South Essex NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 21 wks
44.3%
853
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 23 wks
43.9%
728
Nuffield Health, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 24 wks
43.5%
3
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 25 wks
31.5%
-

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the NHS Plastic Surgery waiting list?

The NHS Plastic Surgery waiting list in England has about 108,578 patients currently waiting for treatment. The typical wait is around 12 weeks (nearly 3 months), based on data from 92 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 plastic surgeon 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 plastic surgeon. Nationally this currently averages about 12 weeks. In our data it ranges from as short as 4 weeks at the fastest hospital to 25 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 Plastic Surgery patients are seen within 18 weeks?

Across the NHS, 68% of Plastic Surgery 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.