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

Ophthalmology waiting times at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) figures for consultant-led ophthalmology care at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, in the NHS England East of England 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, 13,629 pathways were waiting for consultant-led ophthalmology care at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust. Half had waited 14.2 weeks or less so far (England 10.4 weeks), 59.0% had waited under 18 weeks (England 72.2%; standard 92%) and 457 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.

14.2 wksmedian wait so far: half had waited less (England 10.4 weeks)
59.0%waiting under 18 weeks (England 72.2%; standard 92%)
13,629pathways waiting at the end of August 2026
457waiting over 52 weeks (3.4% of the list)

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 Mid and South Essex: summary

The median ophthalmology wait so far at Mid and South Essex was 14.2 weeks for patients waiting at the end of August 2026, 3.8 weeks (37%) longer than the England median of 10.4 weeks. The share waiting under 18 weeks, 59.0%, was 8.7 percentage points below the figure for the East of England region (67.7%). It was among the quarter of NHS trusts with the longest median ophthalmology waits: joint 14th longest of 105. Between the end of February 2026 and August 2026 both the median (14.0 weeks to 14.2 weeks) and the size of the list (13,711 to 13,629) changed little. Over the same months the England median went from 10.9 weeks to 10.4 weeks. 457 pathways (3.4% of the list) had waited over 52 weeks, about 4.2 times the England share of 0.8%. 24 of the 27 other NHS trusts within 60 miles had a shorter median; the nearest were Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells (about 21 miles away, median 9.4 weeks) and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals (about 22 miles away, median 8.4 weeks).

How does Mid and South Essex compare for ophthalmology?

Ophthalmology waits, end of August 2026
MeasureMid and South EssexEast of England regionEngland
Pathways waiting13,62975,838625,063
Waited under 18 weeks59.0%67.7%72.2%
Median weeks waited14.2not calculated10.4
92nd percentile weeks waited44not calculated33
Waited over 52 weeks457 (3.4%)903 (1.2%)5,022 (0.8%)

Region figures are a Waiting Times UK calculation: we add up NHS England’s figures for the 48 NHS and independent providers in the East of England 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, 90 had a shorter median wait than Mid and South Essex and 13 a longer one. See every trust on the ophthalmology waits page.

Has the ophthalmology wait at Mid and South Essex changed?

At the end of February 2026, 13,711 pathways were waiting and the median wait so far was 14.0 weeks. At the end of August 2026, 13,629 pathways were waiting and the median was 14.2 weeks. Past changes do not predict future waits.

Mid and South Essex: median ophthalmology wait (weeks)810121415Feb 26Mar 26Apr 26May 26Jun 26Jul 26Aug 26

Mid and South Essex: median ophthalmology wait (weeks) England ophthalmology

Ophthalmology at Mid and South Essex, month by month
Month endWaitingMedian weeksUnder 18 weeksOver 52 weeks
February 202613,71114.058.1%512
March 202613,20213.158.1%529
April 202613,36513.359.0%486
May 202613,35614.459.5%473
June 202613,67314.060.2%458
July 202613,68614.059.3%472
August 202613,62914.259.0%457

Which nearby trusts treat ophthalmology?

Ophthalmology: nearby NHS trusts, end of August 2026
Nearby trustDistanceMedian weeksUnder 18 weeksWaiting
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trustabout 21 miles9.474.7%5,934
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trustabout 22 miles8.482.8%3,421
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trustabout 26 miles12.464.1%9,222
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trustabout 26 miles13.460.7%5,544
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trustabout 30 miles11.370.1%3,029
Barts Health NHS Trustabout 32 miles11.968.0%6,519

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

Other specialties at Mid and South Essex

Frequently asked questions

How long is the wait for ophthalmology at Mid and South Essex?

At the end of August 2026, half of the 13,629 pathways waiting for ophthalmology at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust had waited 14.2 weeks or less, and 59.0% 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 Mid and South Essex 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, 90 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 Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust”, NHS England RTT data for August 2026, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/specialty-waits/mid-and-south-essex-nhs-foundation-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.

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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