Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026
Rheumatology waiting times at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) figures for consultant-led rheumatology care at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, in the NHS England London region. Patients waiting at the end of August 2026. Rheumatology covers joints, muscles and bones affected by inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, for example rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and gout.
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 3,450 pathways were waiting for consultant-led rheumatology care at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. Half had waited 15.5 weeks or less so far (England 10.9 weeks), 57.0% had waited under 18 weeks (England 70.4%; standard 92%) and 0 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.
Rheumatology at Royal Free London: summary
The median rheumatology wait so far at Royal Free London was 15.5 weeks for patients waiting at the end of August 2026, 4.6 weeks (42%) longer than the England median of 10.9 weeks. The share waiting under 18 weeks, 57.0%, was 17.5 percentage points below the figure for the London region (74.5%). It was among the quarter of NHS trusts with the longest median rheumatology waits: 12th longest of 113. The median was broadly flat between the end of February 2026 and August 2026 (15.8 weeks to 15.5 weeks), while the list grew by 254 pathways (8%). Over the same months the England median went from 11.7 weeks to 10.9 weeks. None of the 3,450 pathways had waited over 52 weeks (England 0.9%). 34 of the 38 other NHS trusts within 60 miles had a shorter median; the nearest were Whittington Health (about 1 mile away, median 5.5 weeks) and University College London Hospitals (about 2 miles away, median 12.5 weeks).
How does Royal Free London compare for rheumatology?
| Measure | Royal Free London | London region | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathways waiting | 3,450 | 17,268 | 118,397 |
| Waited under 18 weeks | 57.0% | 74.5% | 70.4% |
| Median weeks waited | 15.5 | not calculated | 10.9 |
| 92nd percentile weeks waited | 36 | not calculated | 35 |
| Waited over 52 weeks | 0 (0.0%) | 43 (0.2%) | 1,070 (0.9%) |
Region figures are a Waiting Times UK calculation: we add up NHS England’s figures for the 20 NHS and independent providers in the London 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 113 NHS trusts in England with at least 20 rheumatology pathways waiting, 101 had a shorter median wait than Royal Free London and 11 a longer one. See all specialties on the operation and treatment waits page.
Has the rheumatology wait at Royal Free London changed?
At the end of February 2026, 3,196 pathways were waiting and the median wait so far was 15.8 weeks. At the end of August 2026, 3,450 pathways were waiting and the median was 15.5 weeks. Past changes do not predict future waits.
Royal Free London: median rheumatology wait (weeks) England rheumatology
| Month end | Waiting | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Over 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | 3,196 | 15.8 | 56.2% | 4 |
| March 2026 | 2,855 | 12.5 | 62.0% | 1 |
| April 2026 | 3,009 | 13.8 | 60.8% | 3 |
| May 2026 | 3,073 | 15.0 | 59.7% | 1 |
| June 2026 | 3,153 | 15.1 | 59.2% | 1 |
| July 2026 | 3,531 | 14.4 | 58.7% | 0 |
| August 2026 | 3,450 | 15.5 | 57.0% | 0 |
Which nearby trusts treat rheumatology?
| Nearby trust | Distance | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Waiting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whittington Health NHS Trust | about 1 mile | 5.5 | 97.4% | 305 |
| University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 2 miles | 12.5 | 64.2% | 827 |
| Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | about 2 miles | 7.6 | 86.0% | 613 |
| Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust | about 4 miles | 5.7 | 95.5% | 486 |
| Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | about 5 miles | 10.9 | 76.6% | 1,168 |
| Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | about 5 miles | 3.4 | 99.0% | 197 |
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 rheumatology pathways waiting are listed.
Find rheumatology 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 Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
- Operation and treatment waits by specialty in England
- Search by postcode
- All specialty pages by trust
Other specialties at Royal Free London
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Ear, nose and throat (ENT)
- Elderly medicine
- Gastroenterology
- General internal medicine
- General surgery
- Gynaecology
- Neurology
- Ophthalmology
- Oral surgery
- Plastic surgery
- Respiratory medicine
- Trauma and orthopaedics
- Urology
Frequently asked questions
How long is the wait for rheumatology at Royal Free London?
At the end of August 2026, half of the 3,450 pathways waiting for rheumatology at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust had waited 15.5 weeks or less, and 57.0% 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 Royal Free London compare with England for rheumatology?
Across England the median rheumatology wait was 10.9 weeks and 70.4% had waited under 18 weeks at the end of August 2026. Of 113 NHS trusts with at least 20 pathways waiting, 101 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, “Rheumatology waiting times at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust”, NHS England RTT data for August 2026, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/specialty-waits/royal-free-london-nhs-foundation-trust/rheumatology (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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