Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026

Elderly medicine waiting times: NHS trusts ranked

How long patients on the elderly medicine waiting list had waited at each NHS trust in England at the end of August 2026, from NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) statistics. Elderly medicine covers the care of older people, often with several conditions at once, for example falls, memory problems and frailty. Trusts are ranked from the shortest median wait to the longest.

Past figures, not a promise. These are NHS England figures for patients who were already on the waiting list at the end of August 2026: how long they had waited so far. They are not a forecast or a guarantee of how long a new patient will wait, and waits can change quickly. Waiting Times UK is an independent website, not part of the NHS, and this is not medical advice.

Elderly medicine: summary

At the end of August 2026, 106 NHS trusts in England had at least 20 pathways waiting for elderly medicine. Their median waits so far ranged from 1.9 weeks at St George's University Hospitals to 19.4 weeks at Nottingham University Hospitals; the England median was 7.6 weeks. 67 of the 106 trusts had a median at or below the England figure. The share waiting under 18 weeks ranged from 48.2% to 100.0% (England 84.3%); 52 trusts met the 92% standard. 94 trusts had no elderly medicine pathways waiting over 52 weeks; the most was 69 at Nottingham University Hospitals.

Which NHS trusts have the shortest elderly medicine waits?

Select a column heading to sort, or filter by NHS England region. Each trust links to its own elderly medicine page with the trend and nearby trusts. To put two to four trusts next to each other, use the side-by-side comparison.

Elderly medicine: NHS trusts in England ranked by median wait, end of August 2026
Rank	Trust	Region	Median weeks waited	Under 18 weeks	92nd percentile weeks	Pathways waiting	Over 52 weeks	Over 52 weeks (% of list)
1	St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	London	1.9	97.2%	11	36	0	0.0%
2	London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust	London	2.2	100.0%	6	104	0	0.0%
3	Isle of Wight NHS Trust	South East	2.3	100.0%	5	26	0	0.0%
4	East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust	North West	2.6	100.0%	9	85	0	0.0%
5	Medway NHS Foundation Trust	South East	2.8	98.4%	14	64	0	0.0%
6	Stockport NHS Foundation Trust	North West	3.1	96.5%	12	113	0	0.0%
7	Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	South East	3.4	100.0%	7	35	0	0.0%
8	Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust	London	3.6	95.0%	13	202	0	0.0%
=9	East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	4.0	97.8%	11	180	0	0.0%
=9	Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	4.0	97.5%	13	79	0	0.0%
11	University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	London	4.2	91.9%	19	62	0	0.0%
12	Barts Health NHS Trust	London	4.3	98.3%	16	179	0	0.0%
=13	Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust	Midlands	4.4	100.0%	11	46	0	0.0%
=13	Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	North East and Yorkshire	4.4	98.5%	12	66	0	0.0%
=13	University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust	Midlands	4.4	98.4%	12	128	0	0.0%
=13	Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust	North West	4.4	94.0%	16	232	0	0.0%
=17	University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust	Midlands	4.5	98.0%	14	49	0	0.0%
=17	Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South East	4.5	95.3%	15	149	0	0.0%
=17	Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South East	4.5	90.4%	19	628	0	0.0%
20	Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	4.6	97.4%	15	191	0	0.0%
21	Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust	Midlands	4.7	94.6%	15	203	0	0.0%
=22	Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	North West	4.8	97.1%	15	172	0	0.0%
=22	The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	4.8	95.7%	17	47	0	0.0%
=22	The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	4.8	95.2%	17	62	0	0.0%
=22	Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust	London	4.8	93.5%	17	460	2	0.4%
26	Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	London	4.9	93.5%	18	154	0	0.0%
27	Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South West	5.0	96.5%	15	341	0	0.0%
28	Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	5.1	91.8%	19	122	0	0.0%
=29	Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust	South East	5.2	97.9%	15	191	0	0.0%
=29	The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	5.2	96.4%	16	225	0	0.0%
=29	University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust	North West	5.2	96.2%	16	213	0	0.0%
=29	Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	5.2	90.8%	22	87	0	0.0%
=29	Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	5.2	88.2%	21	68	0	0.0%
34	Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust	South East	5.4	90.4%	29	73	2	2.7%
=35	Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	5.5	99.7%	15	590	0	0.0%
=35	Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust	South East	5.5	97.6%	17	288	0	0.0%
=37	Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	5.6	97.1%	17	102	0	0.0%
=37	Bristol NHS Foundation Trust	South West	5.6	95.7%	16	350	0	0.0%
39	University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	5.8	83.8%	20	277	0	0.0%
=40	Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	6.0	97.6%	13	84	0	0.0%
=40	West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	East of England	6.0	94.4%	18	54	0	0.0%
=40	Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	South West	6.0	88.1%	22	302	0	0.0%
43	South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	6.1	94.9%	15	59	0	0.0%
=44	Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	6.2	94.5%	13	55	0	0.0%
=44	Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	North West	6.2	88.4%	20	303	0	0.0%
=46	Whittington Health NHS Trust	London	6.3	100.0%	14	91	0	0.0%
=46	University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	6.3	92.5%	17	305	0	0.0%
=48	York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	6.4	95.4%	16	280	0	0.0%
=48	Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust	South West	6.4	91.3%	19	343	0	0.0%
=48	South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	6.4	86.6%	23	1,015	0	0.0%
51	King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	London	6.6	94.6%	17	570	0	0.0%
=52	Bolton NHS Foundation Trust	North West	6.7	90.2%	23	285	0	0.0%
=52	Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust	London	6.7	81.7%	29	208	0	0.0%
=54	East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	South East	6.8	97.2%	18	145	0	0.0%
=54	Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust	London	6.8	94.2%	18	884	0	0.0%
=54	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	6.8	90.7%	19	150	0	0.0%
=54	Airedale NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	6.8	90.2%	19	41	0	0.0%
58	North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	6.9	82.4%	26	352	0	0.0%
59	Croydon Health Services NHS Trust	London	7.1	95.7%	16	188	0	0.0%
=60	Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	7.2	98.2%	15	109	0	0.0%
=60	The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	London	7.2	88.2%	19	93	0	0.0%
62	Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	7.3	86.7%	25	677	1	0.1%
=63	The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust	Midlands	7.5	98.4%	18	62	0	0.0%
=63	Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust	South West	7.5	94.5%	17	181	0	0.0%
=65	South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	7.6	93.0%	18	200	0	0.0%
=65	University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust	South West	7.6	89.9%	21	934	0	0.0%
=65	East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust	South East	7.6	83.2%	23	392	0	0.0%
68	Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust	London	7.7	98.7%	17	305	0	0.0%
=69	The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust	East of England	7.8	91.3%	19	23	0	0.0%
=69	Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust	South East	7.8	77.9%	23	77	0	0.0%
=71	County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	8.0	87.4%	20	427	0	0.0%
=71	Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	8.0	87.2%	21	298	0	0.0%
=73	The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust	Midlands	8.2	100.0%	15	219	0	0.0%
=73	Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust	South East	8.2	89.2%	21	378	0	0.0%
=73	Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	South West	8.2	82.1%	29	95	0	0.0%
=73	Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	North East and Yorkshire	8.2	73.6%	32	87	0	0.0%
=77	North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	8.4	91.1%	19	179	0	0.0%
=77	Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South West	8.4	87.6%	20	153	0	0.0%
=79	The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	8.5	100.0%	16	24	0	0.0%
=79	East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust	East of England	8.5	81.4%	29	145	0	0.0%
81	University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust	South East	8.6	90.2%	19	325	0	0.0%
=82	Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	8.9	95.2%	15	21	0	0.0%
=82	The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	8.9	93.1%	18	203	0	0.0%
84	Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	9.0	87.8%	23	353	1	0.3%
85	Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	North West	9.1	83.8%	23	414	1	0.2%
86	George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust	Midlands	9.5	81.6%	26	98	0	0.0%
=87	University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust	Midlands	9.6	80.5%	24	554	0	0.0%
=87	Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	9.6	78.4%	25	204	0	0.0%
=87	Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust	North West	9.6	71.0%	34	793	1	0.1%
=87	University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust	South East	9.6	66.7%	41	153	7	4.6%
=91	Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South East	9.8	79.7%	27	207	0	0.0%
=91	Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	9.8	71.9%	29	320	0	0.0%
93	East Cheshire NHS Trust	North West	10.4	80.0%	31	70	0	0.0%
94	Wye Valley NHS Trust	Midlands	10.5	76.9%	29	173	0	0.0%
95	Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	London	10.6	85.7%	25	273	0	0.0%
=96	Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	11.2	69.8%	36	278	1	0.4%
=96	Somerset NHS Foundation Trust	South West	11.2	68.4%	31	683	2	0.3%
=98	North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	11.3	78.3%	29	217	0	0.0%
=98	Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust	South West	11.3	73.3%	31	285	1	0.4%
100	Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust	North East and Yorkshire	11.8	64.0%	36	497	0	0.0%
101	United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	Midlands	11.9	67.7%	30	406	0	0.0%
102	Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	12.1	66.0%	34	1,399	0	0.0%
103	Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust	London	12.4	67.8%	36	183	2	1.1%
104	Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	South East	13.5	69.1%	29	256	0	0.0%
105	North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust	North West	14.0	61.9%	37	286	0	0.0%
106	Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust	Midlands	19.4	48.2%	49	1,200	69	5.8%

Rank 1 is the shortest median wait; “=” marks a tie. Only NHS trusts with at least 20 elderly medicine pathways waiting and a published median are ranked, the same rule as on each trust’s specialty page. Independent-sector providers that treat NHS patients are not ranked. England: median 7.6 weeks, 84.3% under 18 weeks, 27,431 pathways waiting, 90 over 52 weeks.

How do NHS England regions compare for elderly medicine?

Elderly medicine by NHS England region, end of August 2026
Region	Trusts ranked	Shortest median	Region: under 18 weeks	Region: pathways waiting
London	16	St George's University Hospitals (1.9 weeks)	92.5%	3,998
South East	16	Isle of Wight (2.3 weeks)	87.8%	3,419
South West	10	Gloucestershire Hospitals (5.0 weeks)	85.7%	3,685
Midlands	18	Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals (4.4 weeks)	75.5%	4,594
East of England	11	East Suffolk and North Essex (4.0 weeks)	88.2%	1,995
North West	15	East Lancashire Hospitals (2.6 weeks)	77.7%	4,891
North East and Yorkshire	20	Barnsley Hospital (4.0 weeks)	87.4%	4,849

The last two columns are a Waiting Times UK calculation: we add up NHS England’s figures for every NHS and independent provider in the region with this specialty. Medians cannot be added up, so the region columns show the share under 18 weeks rather than a median.

What do these measures mean?

Median weeks waited: half the pathways on the list had waited this long or less so far, at the end of the month.
Under 18 weeks: the share of the list that had waited less than 18 weeks (the NHS standard is 92%). Pathways with an unknown start date are left out, as NHS England does.
92nd percentile: 92% of pathways had waited this many weeks or less.
Pathways waiting: the size of the list. A pathway is one patient’s wait for one specialty; a person can be on more than one list.
Over 52 weeks: pathways that had waited more than a year.

NHS England publishes these figures for each trust as a whole, not for each hospital. A trust can run several hospitals, so the site you are treated at may have a different wait. A trust is shown for a specialty only if at least 20 pathways were waiting. Specialist trusts, and trusts that take complex referrals from elsewhere, are not like for like with general hospitals.

Can I choose a hospital with a shorter wait?

In England you have a legal right to start consultant-led, non-urgent treatment within 18 weeks of referral, with some exceptions, and you can usually choose where you are referred for a first outpatient appointment. Each hospital has a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) that can help with questions about your wait. Your waiting time rights explained.

Not medical advice. If your symptoms change or get worse while you wait, contact your GP or the team treating you. If it is not an emergency, NHS 111 online or calling 111 can tell you where to go, including urgent treatment centres, which often have shorter waits. Call 999 or go to A&E for life-threatening emergencies such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding or signs of a stroke.

More comparisons

Rankings for other specialties

How should I cite these figures?

Waiting Times UK, “Elderly medicine waiting times: NHS trusts ranked”, NHS England RTT data for August 2026, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/compare/specialty/elderly-medicine (accessed [date]). Where possible, cite the official publisher too.

Who wrote this page and where do the figures come from?

Written and maintained by the Waiting Times UK editorial team at Oaknest Media Ltd, an independent publisher that is not part of the NHS. Every figure is taken from an official publication, shown with its date, and linked below; where we add up or compare figures ourselves we say so. This page has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not medical advice. Page last updated 2 November 2026, from the data files named below. Figures change when the publisher releases new data.

NHS England: Referral to treatment waiting times (August 2026, published 8 October 2026)

Official statistics are reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See data sources and methods and about Waiting Times UK.

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