Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026
Neurosurgery waiting times at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) figures for consultant-led neurosurgery care at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in the NHS England London region. Patients waiting at the end of August 2026. Neurosurgery covers surgery on the brain, spine and nerves, for example some spinal operations and the removal of brain tumours.
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 3,578 pathways were waiting for consultant-led neurosurgery care at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Half had waited 13.2 weeks or less so far (England 13.4 weeks), 61.9% had waited under 18 weeks (England 62.0%; standard 92%) and 52 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.
Neurosurgery at University College London Hospitals: summary
For patients waiting at the end of August 2026, the median wait so far for neurosurgery at University College London Hospitals was 13.2 weeks, close to the England median of 13.4 weeks. 61.9% had waited under 18 weeks, 2.1 percentage points more than across the London region (59.8%). Of 26 NHS trusts with at least 20 neurosurgery pathways waiting, 11 reported a shorter median and 14 a longer one, which puts University College London Hospitals in the middle half. The median fell from 15.1 weeks to 13.2 weeks between the end of February 2026 and August 2026, with the list roughly level (3,532 to 3,578). Over the same months the England median went from 14.1 weeks to 13.4 weeks. 52 pathways (1.5% of the list) had waited over 52 weeks, similar to the England share of 1.5%. 4 of the 9 other NHS trusts within 60 miles had a shorter median; the nearest were Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals (about 14 miles away, median 12.8 weeks) and Cambridge University Hospitals (about 46 miles away, median 12.4 weeks).
How does University College London Hospitals compare for neurosurgery?
| Measure | University College London Hospitals | London region | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathways waiting | 3,578 | 17,410 | 54,748 |
| Waited under 18 weeks | 61.9% | 59.8% | 62.0% |
| Median weeks waited | 13.2 | not calculated | 13.4 |
| 92nd percentile weeks waited | 40 | not calculated | 40 |
| Waited over 52 weeks | 52 (1.5%) | 152 (0.9%) | 806 (1.5%) |
Region figures are a Waiting Times UK calculation: we add up NHS England’s figures for the 14 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 26 NHS trusts in England with at least 20 neurosurgery pathways waiting, 11 had a shorter median wait than University College London Hospitals and 14 a longer one. See all specialties on the operation and treatment waits page.
Has the neurosurgery wait at University College London Hospitals changed?
At the end of February 2026, 3,532 pathways were waiting and the median wait so far was 15.1 weeks. At the end of August 2026, 3,578 pathways were waiting and the median was 13.2 weeks. Past changes do not predict future waits.
University College London Hospitals: median neurosurgery wait (weeks) England neurosurgery
| Month end | Waiting | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Over 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | 3,532 | 15.1 | 57.4% | 72 |
| March 2026 | 3,442 | 12.7 | 61.8% | 83 |
| April 2026 | 3,613 | 12.7 | 60.9% | 97 |
| May 2026 | 3,607 | 13.5 | 61.6% | 117 |
| June 2026 | 3,546 | 13.5 | 63.0% | 94 |
| July 2026 | 3,574 | 13.0 | 63.0% | 66 |
| August 2026 | 3,578 | 13.2 | 61.9% | 52 |
Which nearby trusts treat neurosurgery?
| Nearby trust | Distance | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Waiting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | about 2 miles | 15.2 | 55.9% | 3,018 |
| Barts Health NHS Trust | about 4 miles | 18.1 | 49.7% | 1,441 |
| King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | about 4 miles | 14.0 | 65.4% | 2,779 |
| St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 7 miles | 14.7 | 58.7% | 4,087 |
| Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust | about 14 miles | 12.8 | 67.9% | 2,096 |
| Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust | about 36 miles | 32.0 | 34.6% | 52 |
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 neurosurgery pathways waiting are listed.
Find neurosurgery 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 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Operation and treatment waits by specialty in England
- Search by postcode
- All specialty pages by trust
Other specialties at University College London Hospitals
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Ear, nose and throat (ENT)
- Elderly medicine
- Gastroenterology
- General internal medicine
- General surgery
- Gynaecology
- Neurology
- Oral surgery
- Respiratory medicine
- Rheumatology
- Trauma and orthopaedics
- Urology
Frequently asked questions
How long is the wait for neurosurgery at University College London Hospitals?
At the end of August 2026, half of the 3,578 pathways waiting for neurosurgery at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had waited 13.2 weeks or less, and 61.9% 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 University College London Hospitals compare with England for neurosurgery?
Across England the median neurosurgery wait was 13.4 weeks and 62.0% had waited under 18 weeks at the end of August 2026. Of 26 NHS trusts with at least 20 pathways waiting, 11 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, “Neurosurgery waiting times at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust”, NHS England RTT data for August 2026, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/specialty-waits/university-college-london-hospitals-nhs-foundation-trust/neurosurgery (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.
Spotted a figure that looks wrong or out of date? Report a figure and we will check it against the original source.