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

Respiratory medicine waiting times: NHS trusts ranked

How long patients on the respiratory 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. Respiratory medicine covers the lungs and breathing, for example asthma, COPD and sleep apnoea. 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.

Respiratory medicine: summary

At the end of August 2026, 118 NHS trusts in England had at least 20 pathways waiting for respiratory medicine. Their median waits so far ranged from 3.2 weeks at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare to 22.6 weeks at South Warwickshire University; the England median was 10.4 weeks. 67 of the 118 trusts had a median at or below the England figure. The share waiting under 18 weeks ranged from 42.6% to 100.0% (England 74.1%); 18 trusts met the 92% standard. 76 trusts had no respiratory medicine pathways waiting over 52 weeks; the most was 148 at Wye Valley.

Which NHS trusts have the shortest respiratory medicine waits?

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

Respiratory 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	Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	South East	3.2	100.0%	11	28	0	0.0%
2	Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	4.3	93.0%	18	185	0	0.0%
3	Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	London	4.4	98.0%	14	300	0	0.0%
4	The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	4.6	94.8%	16	868	0	0.0%
=5	East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust	North West	4.9	97.3%	13	640	0	0.0%
=5	Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	4.9	94.1%	17	269	0	0.0%
=5	Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	North East and Yorkshire	4.9	94.0%	16	805	0	0.0%
8	Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	North West	5.1	94.3%	16	545	0	0.0%
9	Croydon Health Services NHS Trust	London	5.7	98.1%	14	991	1	0.1%
10	Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust	London	5.9	95.6%	17	2,390	1	0.0%
11	Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	6.1	86.6%	26	262	0	0.0%
12	Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust	South East	6.2	96.9%	17	618	0	0.0%
13	Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust	South East	6.6	88.0%	22	1,575	0	0.0%
14	Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust	North West	6.7	91.1%	19	985	0	0.0%
=15	East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust	East of England	6.8	91.3%	19	944	0	0.0%
=15	Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust	Midlands	6.8	88.6%	21	1,903	3	0.2%
17	Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	6.9	91.0%	20	233	0	0.0%
=18	Stockport NHS Foundation Trust	North West	7.1	92.3%	18	531	0	0.0%
=18	University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	London	7.1	88.0%	20	741	0	0.0%
=18	George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust	Midlands	7.1	87.6%	26	403	0	0.0%
=21	Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	7.2	96.2%	15	677	0	0.0%
=21	Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	7.2	92.9%	18	3,344	1	0.0%
=21	University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust	North West	7.2	90.6%	20	445	1	0.2%
=21	Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust	South East	7.2	89.9%	20	1,325	0	0.0%
25	Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust	North West	7.3	92.2%	18	3,032	1	0.0%
=26	Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust	South West	7.4	92.4%	18	489	0	0.0%
=26	North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	7.4	80.5%	30	1,244	0	0.0%
=28	Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	7.6	90.2%	19	1,057	0	0.0%
=28	Whittington Health NHS Trust	London	7.6	90.1%	19	707	0	0.0%
=28	Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South East	7.6	89.1%	20	1,296	0	0.0%
=31	West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	7.7	82.9%	24	686	2	0.3%
=31	Bristol NHS Foundation Trust	South West	7.7	81.3%	30	2,052	0	0.0%
33	Somerset NHS Foundation Trust	South West	7.8	87.6%	23	1,473	0	0.0%
=34	Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	7.9	90.2%	19	1,514	0	0.0%
=34	Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust	South East	7.9	87.1%	25	333	0	0.0%
36	West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	East of England	8.2	87.7%	23	1,148	0	0.0%
37	Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust	Midlands	8.3	94.0%	18	763	0	0.0%
38	Bolton NHS Foundation Trust	North West	8.4	90.8%	21	672	3	0.4%
=39	The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust	Midlands	8.5	88.0%	21	1,979	0	0.0%
=39	Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust	North East and Yorkshire	8.5	78.2%	27	1,420	0	0.0%
41	Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	8.6	93.0%	18	2,781	0	0.0%
=42	Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	8.7	83.4%	26	948	0	0.0%
=42	East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	8.7	82.3%	28	1,578	0	0.0%
44	Isle of Wight NHS Trust	South East	8.8	87.0%	20	230	0	0.0%
=45	The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	8.9	90.8%	19	903	0	0.0%
=45	Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	8.9	85.4%	23	1,214	0	0.0%
=45	Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	London	8.9	84.2%	24	1,586	0	0.0%
=45	Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South West	8.9	82.4%	22	1,104	0	0.0%
=45	The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust	East of England	8.9	75.8%	29	788	0	0.0%
=50	Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust	London	9.1	81.5%	24	2,222	0	0.0%
=50	United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	Midlands	9.1	81.2%	38	1,958	48	2.5%
52	Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	North West	9.2	78.8%	26	1,020	0	0.0%
=53	The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	9.3	86.4%	23	1,052	0	0.0%
=53	South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	9.3	82.6%	26	1,055	0	0.0%
=53	Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust	South East	9.3	82.5%	26	934	1	0.1%
=53	University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust	South East	9.3	81.5%	25	941	0	0.0%
=57	South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	9.4	75.9%	28	2,634	0	0.0%
=57	Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust	London	9.4	75.6%	33	1,162	15	1.3%
=59	Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	9.5	83.9%	28	772	0	0.0%
=59	Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	North West	9.5	81.1%	25	1,155	0	0.0%
61	The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust	Midlands	9.6	70.4%	29	1,810	0	0.0%
62	University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust	South East	9.9	76.2%	33	1,581	8	0.5%
=63	Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust	North West	10.0	83.9%	24	541	0	0.0%
=63	Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust	Midlands	10.0	81.7%	23	1,882	0	0.0%
=65	Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust	London	10.2	84.1%	25	2,141	0	0.0%
=65	Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	South East	10.2	73.6%	30	1,172	0	0.0%
67	University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust	Midlands	10.3	82.4%	24	2,278	0	0.0%
=68	Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	South West	10.5	71.8%	32	2,021	3	0.1%
=68	University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	10.5	70.9%	32	3,225	0	0.0%
70	University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	10.6	72.4%	29	1,746	0	0.0%
71	North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust	North West	10.7	75.2%	30	1,005	0	0.0%
=72	Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	10.8	73.0%	32	1,329	7	0.5%
=72	Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	10.8	70.2%	31	815	0	0.0%
=74	Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	North East and Yorkshire	10.9	72.3%	29	2,609	5	0.2%
=74	Barts Health NHS Trust	London	10.9	71.0%	30	4,286	2	0.0%
76	Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	South West	11.2	79.5%	24	283	0	0.0%
=77	Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	11.3	74.8%	30	477	0	0.0%
=77	East Cheshire NHS Trust	North West	11.3	70.8%	40	757	7	0.9%
=79	Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust	South East	11.4	78.3%	24	1,237	0	0.0%
=79	Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust	South West	11.4	73.6%	29	667	0	0.0%
=79	The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	London	11.4	72.5%	29	793	0	0.0%
=79	Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South East	11.4	71.9%	35	1,770	22	1.2%
=79	Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust	London	11.4	71.4%	34	5,655	17	0.3%
84	University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust	Midlands	11.5	71.5%	28	5,001	1	0.0%
=85	University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust	Midlands	11.6	72.0%	29	2,468	0	0.0%
=85	Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust	London	11.6	66.8%	32	829	0	0.0%
87	Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	11.7	66.7%	32	2,023	1	0.0%
88	King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	London	11.9	71.7%	34	3,203	4	0.1%
89	Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	12.0	70.1%	32	3,286	3	0.1%
=90	Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	Midlands	12.2	72.1%	29	1,140	0	0.0%
=90	James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	12.2	70.5%	30	1,183	0	0.0%
92	Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust	South West	12.3	66.2%	42	926	17	1.8%
93	Wye Valley NHS Trust	Midlands	12.5	66.4%	50	1,928	148	7.7%
=94	Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South East	12.6	68.7%	33	1,259	2	0.2%
=94	Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust	South East	12.6	68.3%	30	1,131	0	0.0%
=94	Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	12.6	67.8%	33	881	8	0.9%
=94	County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	12.6	63.8%	37	1,516	1	0.1%
98	St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	London	12.7	64.3%	39	3,373	17	0.5%
=99	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	12.8	65.3%	35	1,790	1	0.1%
=99	North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	12.8	61.0%	40	743	2	0.3%
101	Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	12.9	63.1%	38	4,485	22	0.5%
=102	North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	13.1	62.0%	34	702	0	0.0%
=102	Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust	London	13.1	61.5%	40	9,635	3	0.0%
104	Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	13.5	62.8%	34	1,457	1	0.1%
=105	East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	South East	13.6	65.3%	32	2,386	4	0.2%
=105	University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust	South West	13.6	63.4%	38	1,661	0	0.0%
107	Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	South East	14.1	89.7%	19	39	0	0.0%
108	Medway NHS Foundation Trust	South East	14.3	55.8%	40	915	0	0.0%
109	Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	North West	14.4	59.5%	39	3,008	11	0.4%
110	Airedale NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	14.5	58.2%	39	662	0	0.0%
111	Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South West	14.6	59.1%	37	799	4	0.5%
112	London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust	London	14.8	60.2%	40	3,461	3	0.1%
113	Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	16.7	53.2%	38	2,507	2	0.1%
114	The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	17.5	50.8%	43	983	0	0.0%
115	Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust	Midlands	19.0	46.2%	34	52	0	0.0%
116	East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust	South East	20.0	44.7%	42	4,917	93	1.9%
117	York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	21.0	43.7%	47	3,160	87	2.8%
118	South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	22.6	42.6%	52	1,169	84	7.2%

Rank 1 is the shortest median wait; “=” marks a tie. Only NHS trusts with at least 20 respiratory 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 10.4 weeks, 74.1% under 18 weeks, 182,914 pathways waiting, 669 over 52 weeks.

How do NHS England regions compare for respiratory medicine?

Respiratory medicine by NHS England region, end of August 2026
Region	Trusts ranked	Shortest median	Region: under 18 weeks	Region: pathways waiting
London	17	Homerton Healthcare (4.4 weeks)	72.1%	43,476
South East	19	Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare (3.2 weeks)	70.3%	23,871
South West	10	Royal United Hospitals Bath (7.4 weeks)	75.2%	11,476
Midlands	20	Nottingham University Hospitals (6.8 weeks)	76.3%	33,520
East of England	14	East and North Hertfordshire Teaching (6.8 weeks)	76.3%	22,978
North West	18	East Lancashire Hospitals (4.9 weeks)	78.0%	20,477
North East and Yorkshire	20	Harrogate and District (4.3 weeks)	72.4%	27,116

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, “Respiratory medicine waiting times: NHS trusts ranked”, NHS England RTT data for August 2026, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/compare/specialty/respiratory-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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