Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026
Ophthalmology waiting times at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) figures for consultant-led ophthalmology care at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, in the NHS England North West region. Patients waiting at the end of August 2026. Ophthalmology covers eyes, for example cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease.
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 4,340 pathways were waiting for consultant-led ophthalmology care at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. Half had waited 11.8 weeks or less so far (England 10.4 weeks), 67.2% had waited under 18 weeks (England 72.2%; standard 92%) and 4 had waited over 52 weeks.
Source: NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) statistics, published 8 October 2026. These are past figures, not a forecast of how long you will wait.
Figures are for patients waiting at the end of August 2026 (NHS England RTT, published 8 October 2026). They show how long people had waited so far, not how long a new referral will wait, and they are not a guarantee of any wait. A pathway is one patient’s wait for one specialty; a person can be on more than one list.
Ophthalmology at East Lancashire Hospitals: summary
At East Lancashire Hospitals, patients on the ophthalmology list at the end of August 2026 had waited a median of 11.8 weeks, longer than the England figure of 10.4 weeks (by 1.4 weeks, or 13%). The share waiting under 18 weeks, 67.2%, was 5.1 percentage points below the figure for the North West region (72.3%). Of 105 NHS trusts with at least 20 ophthalmology pathways waiting, 58 reported a shorter median and 39 a longer one, which puts East Lancashire Hospitals in the middle half. The median was broadly flat between the end of February 2026 and August 2026 (11.5 weeks to 11.8 weeks), while the list grew by 180 pathways (4%). Over the same months the England median went from 10.9 weeks to 10.4 weeks. 4 pathways (0.1% of the list) had waited over 52 weeks, less than half the England share of 0.8%. 19 of the 27 other NHS trusts within 60 miles had a shorter median; the nearest were Lancashire Teaching Hospitals (about 11 miles away, median 9.2 weeks) and Bolton (about 13 miles away, median 11.1 weeks).
How does East Lancashire Hospitals compare for ophthalmology?
| Measure | East Lancashire Hospitals | North West region | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathways waiting | 4,340 | 84,441 | 625,063 |
| Waited under 18 weeks | 67.2% | 72.3% | 72.2% |
| Median weeks waited | 11.8 | not calculated | 10.4 |
| 92nd percentile weeks waited | 36 | not calculated | 33 |
| Waited over 52 weeks | 4 (0.1%) | 494 (0.6%) | 5,022 (0.8%) |
Region figures are a Waiting Times UK calculation: we add up NHS England’s figures for the 47 NHS and independent providers in the North West region with this specialty. Medians and percentiles cannot be added up, so we do not show them for the region. The under-18-weeks share leaves out pathways with an unknown start date, as NHS England does.
Of the 105 NHS trusts in England with at least 20 ophthalmology pathways waiting, 58 had a shorter median wait than East Lancashire Hospitals and 39 a longer one. See every trust on the ophthalmology waits page.
Has the ophthalmology wait at East Lancashire Hospitals changed?
At the end of February 2026, 4,160 pathways were waiting and the median wait so far was 11.5 weeks. At the end of August 2026, 4,340 pathways were waiting and the median was 11.8 weeks. Past changes do not predict future waits.
East Lancashire Hospitals: median ophthalmology wait (weeks) England ophthalmology
| Month end | Waiting | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Over 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | 4,160 | 11.5 | 63.1% | 92 |
| March 2026 | 4,236 | 9.8 | 65.8% | 46 |
| April 2026 | 4,384 | 10.0 | 67.4% | 37 |
| May 2026 | 4,354 | 11.1 | 66.9% | 38 |
| June 2026 | 4,358 | 10.8 | 67.2% | 37 |
| July 2026 | 4,344 | 11.2 | 67.2% | 21 |
| August 2026 | 4,340 | 11.8 | 67.2% | 4 |
Which nearby trusts treat ophthalmology?
| Nearby trust | Distance | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Waiting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 11 miles | 9.2 | 78.8% | 3,649 |
| Bolton NHS Foundation Trust | about 13 miles | 11.1 | 70.5% | 5,036 |
| Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 14 miles | 6.8 | 81.5% | 1,595 |
| Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust | about 18 miles | 17.8 | 50.9% | 6,195 |
| Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | about 21 miles | 11.6 | 68.4% | 12,421 |
| Airedale NHS Foundation Trust | about 23 miles | 5.9 | 81.1% | 630 |
Straight-line distance between the trusts’ registered addresses in the NHS Organisation Data Service. A trust may run several hospitals, so the site you are treated at can be elsewhere. Only trusts with at least 20 ophthalmology pathways waiting are listed.
Find ophthalmology waits near your postcode (England only).
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 waiting times
- All waiting times at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
- Ophthalmology waits at every trust in England
- Search by postcode
- All specialty pages by trust
Other specialties at East Lancashire Hospitals
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Ear, nose and throat (ENT)
- Elderly medicine
- Gastroenterology
- General surgery
- Gynaecology
- Oral surgery
- Respiratory medicine
- Rheumatology
- Trauma and orthopaedics
- Urology
Frequently asked questions
How long is the wait for ophthalmology at East Lancashire Hospitals?
At the end of August 2026, half of the 4,340 pathways waiting for ophthalmology at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust had waited 11.8 weeks or less, and 67.2% had waited under 18 weeks. This is how long people on the list had waited so far, not a prediction of how long a new referral will take.
How does East Lancashire Hospitals compare with England for ophthalmology?
Across England the median ophthalmology wait was 10.4 weeks and 72.2% had waited under 18 weeks at the end of August 2026. Of 105 NHS trusts with at least 20 pathways waiting, 58 had a shorter median wait.
Is this page from the NHS?
No. Waiting Times UK is an independent website, not part of the NHS, and this is not medical advice. The figures are NHS England’s, reproduced under the Open Government Licence.
How should I cite these figures?
Waiting Times UK, “Ophthalmology waiting times at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust”, NHS England RTT data for August 2026, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/specialty-waits/east-lancashire-hospitals-nhs-trust/ophthalmology (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)
- NHS England: Referral to treatment waiting times, full CSV data files (February 2026 to August 2026; used for the month-by-month trend)
- NHS England: Organisation Data Service (trust registered addresses, used for distances), geocoded with postcodes.io (ONS Postcode Directory, OGL)
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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