Respiratory Medicine Waiting Times Across the NHS

The NHS Respiratory Medicine waiting list in England has 184,433 patients currently waiting for treatment, with a typical wait of around 10 weeks across 125 hospitals. In practice, Respiratory Medicine waiting times range from about 3 weeks at the fastest hospital to 20 weeks at the slowest. From GP referral to first Respiratory Medicine appointment, most patients (92%) are seen within about 29 weeks; the NHS constitutional target is 18 weeks. 1,012 patients have been on the Respiratory Medicine waiting list for more than a year. Waits for Respiratory Medicine are about 2.4 weeks shorter than in February 2025.

12-month change

Then vs now nationally

Feb 25→Feb 26
Typical wait
10weeks
â–¼ -2.4 wks
How long most people wait
Seen in 18 weeks
8in 10
â–² +7.7 pts
NHS aims to see everyone this fast
People waiting
184k
â–¼ -32k
On the waiting list right now
Waiting over a year
1k
â–¼ -1.9k
Been on the list for 12+ months
125
Hospitals you could choose from
10 weeks
How long most people wait
8 in 10
Seen within 18 weeks
1k
Have waited over a year

Common reasons for referral

Asthma management
COPD treatment
Sleep apnoea assessment
Lung function tests (spirometry)
Pulmonary fibrosis
Persistent cough investigation
Breathlessness assessment
Pleural effusion drainage
Bronchoscopy

National trend

Average respiratory medicine wait across England, month by month.

â–¼ -2.4 wks

All hospitals

Hospital Region Wait Within 18 Wks 52+ Wk
Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust London London 3 wks
100.0%
-
Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 3 wks
94.9%
-
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust London London 4 wks
99.6%
-
Hampshire And Isle Of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 4 wks
100.0%
-
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust North West North West 4 wks
93.1%
-
North Bristol NHS Trust South West South West 5 wks
96.4%
-
The Yorkshire Clinic North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 5 wks
98.2%
-
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust South East South East 5 wks
97.2%
-
Liverpool Heart And Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 5 wks
94.2%
-
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 5 wks
94.7%
-
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 5 wks
86.2%
-
University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 6 wks
92.1%
-
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 6 wks
89.4%
-
Barking, Havering And Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust London London 6 wks
89.4%
1
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 6 wks
97.8%
-
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 6 wks
86.7%
2
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 6 wks
93.8%
1
Harrogate And District NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 6 wks
90.9%
-
Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 6 wks
98.3%
-
Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 6 wks
86.6%
2
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 6 wks
89.5%
3
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 6 wks
84.3%
1
The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 6 wks
95.1%
-
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 6 wks
88.5%
1
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 7 wks
83.3%
2
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 7 wks
77.5%
-
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 7 wks
90.9%
-
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 7 wks
85.5%
1
Whittington Health NHS Trust London London 7 wks
93.4%
-
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 7 wks
89.8%
-
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust South West South West 7 wks
78.9%
1
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 7 wks
80.8%
-
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 7 wks
86.2%
-
Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 7 wks
92.9%
-
Tameside And Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 7 wks
88.8%
-
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 7 wks
87.8%
-
Countess Of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 7 wks
72.2%
2
Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 7 wks
86.9%
2
East And North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust East of England East of England 8 wks
83.3%
-
Sandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 8 wks
77.8%
-
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
95.7%
-
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
78.6%
3
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 8 wks
82.1%
-
University Hospitals Bristol And Weston NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 8 wks
72.9%
-
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 8 wks
82.5%
-
Lewisham And Greenwich NHS Trust London London 8 wks
81.4%
-
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
75.2%
-
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 8 wks
78.4%
1
Torbay And South Devon NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 9 wks
81.0%
-
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 9 wks
80.4%
-
South Tyneside And Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 9 wks
78.0%
-
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
82.8%
-
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 9 wks
81.8%
-
University Hospitals Of Derby And Burton NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
73.3%
-
Dorking Healthcare Limited (Dhc) South East South East 9 wks
89.4%
-
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust London London 9 wks
75.0%
1
Chelsea And Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 9 wks
79.7%
-
Wye Valley NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
77.3%
17
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 9 wks
76.5%
14
Calderdale And Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 10 wks
79.2%
-
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 10 wks
73.5%
-
University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 10 wks
77.8%
-
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 10 wks
76.8%
-
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 10 wks
72.1%
31
Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 10 wks
72.5%
-
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 10 wks
74.6%
4
Wrightington, Wigan And Leigh NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 10 wks
70.3%
5
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 10 wks
78.0%
2
University Hospitals Of North Midlands NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 11 wks
72.9%
-
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 11 wks
76.4%
1
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 11 wks
72.9%
1
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 11 wks
73.7%
-
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 11 wks
71.5%
1
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 11 wks
73.9%
1
Epsomedical Group South East South East 11 wks
56.3%
-
Mid And South Essex NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 11 wks
68.0%
10
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust London London 11 wks
72.2%
26
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 11 wks
83.8%
-
Ashford And St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 11 wks
67.7%
8
Mersey And West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North West North West 11 wks
71.5%
-
North Tees And Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 11 wks
67.8%
-
Surrey And Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 11 wks
70.8%
-
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust East of England East of England 11 wks
70.8%
5
Warrington And Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 12 wks
72.7%
2
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust South West South West 12 wks
68.2%
11
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 12 wks
68.2%
3
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 12 wks
67.9%
5
University Hospitals Coventry And Warwickshire NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 12 wks
70.7%
-
Dartford And Gravesham NHS Trust South East South East 12 wks
82.8%
-
Isle Of Wight NHS Trust South East South East 12 wks
65.6%
-
University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 12 wks
64.6%
4
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 12 wks
68.3%
1
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 12 wks
64.3%
6
Epsom And St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust London London 12 wks
62.4%
56
Maidstone And Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust South East South East 12 wks
67.6%
-
County Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 13 wks
66.5%
1
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 13 wks
68.6%
-
East Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 13 wks
60.7%
23
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 13 wks
62.3%
12
Kingston And Richmond NHS Foundation Trust London London 13 wks
62.7%
-
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 13 wks
63.6%
25
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust East of England East of England 13 wks
68.9%
4
Guy's And St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust London London 13 wks
61.9%
91
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 14 wks
61.6%
17
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 14 wks
57.7%
31
Norfolk And Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 14 wks
58.7%
9
Medway NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 14 wks
59.0%
1
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
60.6%
25
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
58.6%
-
Northern Lincolnshire And Goole NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
57.4%
150
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 14 wks
57.2%
3
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 14 wks
58.8%
16
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust London London 15 wks
59.9%
20
Barts Health NHS Trust London London 15 wks
57.2%
53
Doncaster And Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 15 wks
56.5%
2
The Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 16 wks
61.0%
-
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 16 wks
56.9%
1
The Hamptons Hospital Ltd East of England East of England 16 wks
56.1%
5
United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 16 wks
53.2%
31
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 16 wks
55.9%
1
East Cheshire NHS Trust North West North West 17 wks
52.7%
75
York And Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 17 wks
51.5%
38
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 17 wks
51.2%
37
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 18 wks
49.9%
4
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 20 wks
44.8%
99

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the NHS Respiratory Medicine waiting list?

The NHS Respiratory Medicine waiting list in England has about 184,433 patients currently waiting for treatment. The typical wait is around 10 weeks (just over 2 months), based on data from 125 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 respiratory consultant 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 respiratory consultant. Nationally this currently averages about 10 weeks. In our data it ranges from as short as 3 weeks at the fastest hospital to 20 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 Respiratory Medicine patients are seen within 18 weeks?

Across the NHS, 75% of Respiratory 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.