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

Rheumatology waiting times: NHS trusts ranked

How long patients on the rheumatology waiting list had waited at each NHS trust in England at the end of August 2026, from NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) statistics. Rheumatology covers joints, muscles and bones affected by inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, for example rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and gout. 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.

Rheumatology: summary

At the end of August 2026, 113 NHS trusts in England had at least 20 pathways waiting for rheumatology. Their median waits so far ranged from 3.4 weeks at Homerton Healthcare to 29.4 weeks at Medway; the England median was 10.9 weeks. 72 of the 113 trusts had a median at or below the England figure. The share waiting under 18 weeks ranged from 32.1% to 100.0% (England 70.4%); 20 trusts met the 92% standard. 77 trusts had no rheumatology pathways waiting over 52 weeks; the most was 330 at Medway.

Which NHS trusts have the shortest rheumatology waits?

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

Rank 1 is the shortest median wait; “=” marks a tie. Only NHS trusts with at least 20 rheumatology 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 10.9 weeks, 70.4% under 18 weeks, 118,397 pathways waiting, 1,070 over 52 weeks.

How do NHS England regions compare for rheumatology?

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

• Compare two to four trusts side by side for rheumatology
• Operation and treatment waits by specialty in England
• Find rheumatology waits near your postcode
• Trust rankings for every specialty
• Compare NHS trusts on all measures

Rankings for other specialties

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