How WaitRadar Works

We make NHS waiting time data easy to understand so you can make informed decisions about your care.

1

We collect official NHS data

Every month, NHS England publishes Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting time statistics. We download and process this raw data, which covers every NHS trust and independent sector provider in England.

2

We break it down by hospital and department

The data includes waiting times for each medical department at every hospital. We organise this by trust, region, and specialty so you can quickly find the information relevant to you.

3

We calculate key statistics

For each hospital and department, we show the median (typical) wait time, the percentage of patients seen within the 18-week NHS target, and how many people are on the waiting list. We also compare hospitals nationally and regionally.

4

You search and compare

Use WaitRadar to search for a hospital or department, compare waiting times across different trusts, and see which hospitals in your region have the shortest waits. All data is presented clearly with no jargon.

Where does the data come from?

All waiting time data is sourced from NHS England's official Referral to Treatment (RTT) statistics. This is the same data used by the NHS itself and is publicly available. We do not collect, generate, or modify any clinical data.

This data is Crown Copyright and is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0, which permits free use, adaptation, and redistribution provided the source is acknowledged.

How often is the data updated?

NHS England publishes new data monthly, typically with a two-month lag. For example, data published in March usually covers January. We update WaitRadar as soon as new data is available.

What do the statistics mean?

  • Median wait — the middle value; half of patients wait less than this, half wait more. This is the most representative measure of a "typical" wait.
  • % within 18 weeks — the proportion of patients whose total wait from GP referral to treatment is under 18 weeks. The NHS target is 92%.
  • 92nd percentile — the wait time that 92% of patients are seen within. This represents the "worst case" for most patients.
  • 52+ week waiters — the number of people who have been waiting over a year. These are the longest-waiting patients.

Why the median, not the average?

We use the median waiting time as our primary measure because it better represents what a "typical" patient experiences. The mean (average) can be skewed by a small number of patients waiting exceptionally long times, which would make the figure misleadingly high for most people. The median is the midpoint: half of patients wait less, half wait more.

How we rank hospitals

When we compare hospitals or say one is "faster" or "slower," we are comparing their median waiting times for the same department. We also show the percentage of patients seen within 18 weeks (the NHS constitutional standard) as a secondary measure. We do not apply any subjective scoring or weighting — all comparisons are based directly on the official data.

Quality control

Before publishing, our automated pipeline checks every data release for:

  • Missing or null values (these records are excluded, not estimated)
  • Negative or implausible wait times
  • Providers that have stopped reporting or changed codes
  • Month-on-month anomalies that could indicate reporting errors

If we identify an issue we cannot resolve from the source data, we omit the affected records rather than guess.

Editorial independence

WaitRadar has no financial or editorial relationship with any NHS trust, hospital, or healthcare provider. We do not accept payment for favourable placement, and our rankings cannot be influenced by third parties. Read more about our standards on our About page.

Important notes

WaitRadar is an independent informational service operated by SEARCH VENTURES LTD. We are not part of the NHS and do not provide medical advice. The data shown is historical and may not reflect current waiting times at the point you view it. Always speak to your GP or hospital for the most up-to-date information about your referral.

This page was last reviewed on 3 March 2026.