Plastic Surgery Waiting Times Across the NHS

The NHS Plastic Surgery waiting list in England has 104,285 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 3 weeks at the fastest hospital to 37 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. 3,050 patients have been on the Plastic Surgery waiting list for more than a year. Waits for Plastic Surgery are about 1.6 weeks shorter than in June 2025.

12-month change

Then vs now nationally

Jun 25→Jun 26
Typical wait
12.2weeks
â–¼ -1.6 wks
How long most people wait
Seen in 18 weeks
7in 10
â–² +4 pts
NHS aims to see everyone this fast
People waiting
104k
â–² +1.5k
On the waiting list right now
Waiting over a year
3.1k
â–¼ -1k
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
3.1k
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 -1.6 wks

All hospitals

Hospital Region Wait Within 18 Wks 52+ Wk
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 3 wks
98.8%
-
University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 4 wks
96.9%
-
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 4 wks
92.7%
-
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 4 wks
88.1%
-
Tees Valley Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 5 wks
93.5%
-
Ashford And St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 5 wks
100.0%
-
East Cheshire NHS Trust North West North West 5 wks
94.6%
1
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust London London 5 wks
89.8%
-
Somerset Surgical Services HQ South West South West 5 wks
97.5%
-
Cotswolds Surgical Partners South West South West 5 wks
94.9%
-
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 6 wks
76.9%
4
The Yorkshire Clinic North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 6 wks
80.0%
-
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 7 wks
94.3%
-
Kingston And Richmond NHS Foundation Trust London London 7 wks
91.1%
-
Countess Of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 7 wks
74.0%
10
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 7 wks
87.8%
1
University Hospitals Of North Midlands NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 8 wks
74.0%
6
East And North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust East of England East of England 8 wks
75.1%
28
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust South West South West 8 wks
70.4%
14
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
80.3%
-
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust London London 8 wks
96.8%
-
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 8 wks
61.5%
1
Tyneside Surgical Services Ltd North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
90.8%
-
Exeter Medical South West South West 9 wks
81.6%
-
University Hospitals Of Derby And Burton NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
73.5%
5
Spire Methley Park Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 9 wks
81.8%
-
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 9 wks
75.8%
9
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 10 wks
76.3%
1
North Bristol NHS Trust South West South West 10 wks
70.4%
20
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 10 wks
80.5%
1
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 10 wks
69.5%
8
Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 10 wks
72.6%
-
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 10 wks
64.7%
1
Cora Health Diagnostics (Formerly Healthshare Diagnostics) South East South East 10 wks
73.3%
1
Epsomedical Group South East South East 10 wks
71.1%
8
Spire Leeds Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 10 wks
64.4%
-
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 10 wks
65.3%
1
Spire Elland Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 10 wks
91.3%
-
East Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 11 wks
67.5%
-
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 11 wks
67.1%
7
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 11 wks
66.4%
27
Spire London East London London 11 wks
77.1%
-
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 11 wks
62.5%
6
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 11 wks
67.0%
1
York And Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 11 wks
66.8%
3
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 11 wks
72.8%
-
Wye Valley NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 12 wks
65.1%
-
County Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 12 wks
63.3%
30
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust South East South East 12 wks
61.9%
17
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 12 wks
63.1%
12
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 12 wks
64.1%
3
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 12 wks
62.6%
17
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust London London 13 wks
65.1%
36
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 13 wks
63.2%
22
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 13 wks
63.2%
-
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 13 wks
61.9%
21
University Hospitals Coventry And Warwickshire NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 13 wks
61.5%
-
Nuffield Health Parkside Hospital London London 14 wks
60.0%
17
Nuffield Health, Plymouth Hospital South West South West 14 wks
61.5%
1
Spire Cheshire Hospital North West North West 14 wks
68.1%
-
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 14 wks
54.8%
-
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 14 wks
62.8%
-
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 14 wks
58.5%
161
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
63.1%
3
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 14 wks
59.5%
42
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
58.7%
139
Cobalt Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
60.4%
2
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust London London 14 wks
58.7%
4
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 15 wks
57.6%
7
Calderdale And Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 15 wks
56.3%
-
Mersey And West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North West North West 15 wks
55.8%
236
Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust London London 16 wks
57.2%
3
Sandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 16 wks
59.0%
-
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust London London 16 wks
55.6%
1
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 16 wks
54.1%
22
Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 16 wks
55.9%
-
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 16 wks
54.7%
93
Nuffield Health, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 16 wks
56.0%
-
Barts Health NHS Trust London London 17 wks
53.1%
71
Whittington Health NHS Trust London London 17 wks
51.9%
-
Guy's And St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust London London 18 wks
51.1%
67
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 18 wks
50.4%
116
University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 18 wks
48.7%
80
Chelsea And Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 19 wks
48.9%
193
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 19 wks
48.7%
8
Norfolk And Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 20 wks
45.6%
93
Mid And South Essex NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 21 wks
45.0%
649
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 22 wks
41.0%
29
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 22 wks
42.8%
586
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 23 wks
43.3%
54
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 28 wks
21.3%
1
Nuffield Health, Brighton Hospital South East South East 37 wks
24.2%
50

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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 104,285 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 3 weeks at the fastest hospital to 37 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, 67% 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.