Waiting times

The NHS has a number of targets to ensure patients are seen and treated in a timely manner.

Emergency treatment waiting times

All acute NHS Trusts have a target to see 95 per cent of patients in A&E within four hours. That means four hours from arrival to admission, transfer and discharge.

In October 2023 we had 14,669 attendances at our emergency departments with 61% of patients treated within 4 hours.

Our staff are working hard to see and treat people as quickly as possible but we are seeing high numbers of people attending with many of those requiring admission to hospital.

Waiting for planned treatment

If you are referred to one of our consultants for non-urgent treatment you should expect to start receiving treatment within 18 weeks from when your appointment is booked.  Patients with urgent conditions such as suspected cancer and heart disease will be seen by a specialist more quickly.

The 18 weeks does not apply if A) you choose to wait longer, B) if delaying treatment is in your best interest (clinically), C) if it is clinically appropriate to monitor your condition without intervention at that stage, D) if you fail to attend appointments or E) your treatment is no longer necessary.

When you see a clinician at your chosen hospital or clinic you may:

• undergo tests, scans or other procedures to help ensure that your treatment is tailored appropriately to your condition
• have medication or therapy to manage your symptoms until you start treatment
• be referred to another consultant or department.

Your waiting time ends if no treatment is necessary or when your treatment begins. This could include:being admitted to hospital for an operation or treatment

• starting treatment, such as taking medication, that doesn’t require you to stay in hospital
• beginning your fitting of a medical device, such as leg braces
• agreeing to your condition being monitored for a time to see whether you need further treatment
• receiving advice from hospital staff to manage your condition.

Our performance against the Referral to Treatment (RTT) target for October 2023, was 61%.

Cancer treatment

The maximum waiting time for suspected cancer is 2 weeks from the day your appointment is booked through the NHS e-Referral Service, or when we receive your referral letter.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer you should expect to receive your first treatment within 31 days of the decision to treat and within 62 days from your referral.

Our performance against these targets in October 2023 was as follows:

• 2 week wait for urgent cancer referrals – 95%
• 31 days from decision to treat to first treatment – 92%
• 62 days from urgent referral to start of treatment -51%

Waiting time in weeks for a new outpatient appointment (as of 30 November 2023)

These are the current waiting times (in weeks) for new outpatient appointments. We aim to provide accurate waiting times but please note that these are a forecast and could change.

Waiting time, in weeks, for a diagnostic test (as of 30 November 2023)