Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026
Ophthalmology waiting times at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) figures for consultant-led ophthalmology care at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, in the NHS England South East 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, 13,036 pathways were waiting for consultant-led ophthalmology care at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. Half had waited 17.4 weeks or less so far (England 10.4 weeks), 51.6% had waited under 18 weeks (England 72.2%; standard 92%) and 432 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 University Hospitals Sussex: summary
The median ophthalmology wait so far at University Hospitals Sussex was 17.4 weeks for patients waiting at the end of August 2026, 7.0 weeks (67%) longer than the England median of 10.4 weeks. The share waiting under 18 weeks, 51.6%, was 15.2 percentage points below the figure for the South East region (66.8%). It was among the quarter of NHS trusts with the longest median ophthalmology waits: 4th longest of 105. Waits lengthened between the end of February 2026 and August 2026: the median rose from 16.2 weeks to 17.4 weeks and the list grew by 896 pathways (7%). Over the same months the England median went from 10.9 weeks to 10.4 weeks. 432 pathways (3.3% of the list) had waited over 52 weeks, about 4.1 times the England share of 0.8%. 26 of the 26 other NHS trusts within 60 miles had a shorter median; the nearest were Surrey and Sussex Healthcare (about 29 miles away, median 9.5 weeks) and Portsmouth Hospitals University (about 31 miles away, median 15.6 weeks).
How does University Hospitals Sussex compare for ophthalmology?
| Measure | University Hospitals Sussex | South East region | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathways waiting | 13,036 | 93,566 | 625,063 |
| Waited under 18 weeks | 51.6% | 66.8% | 72.2% |
| Median weeks waited | 17.4 | not calculated | 10.4 |
| 92nd percentile weeks waited | 46 | not calculated | 33 |
| Waited over 52 weeks | 432 (3.3%) | 1,115 (1.2%) | 5,022 (0.8%) |
Region figures are a Waiting Times UK calculation: we add up NHS England’s figures for the 56 NHS and independent providers in the South East 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, 101 had a shorter median wait than University Hospitals Sussex and 3 a longer one. See every trust on the ophthalmology waits page.
Has the ophthalmology wait at University Hospitals Sussex changed?
At the end of February 2026, 12,140 pathways were waiting and the median wait so far was 16.2 weeks. At the end of August 2026, 13,036 pathways were waiting and the median was 17.4 weeks. Past changes do not predict future waits.
University Hospitals Sussex: median ophthalmology wait (weeks) England ophthalmology
| Month end | Waiting | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Over 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | 12,140 | 16.2 | 54.5% | 321 |
| March 2026 | 12,345 | 14.9 | 56.9% | 226 |
| April 2026 | 12,607 | 15.0 | 54.8% | 245 |
| May 2026 | 12,760 | 15.9 | 55.3% | 254 |
| June 2026 | 12,804 | 16.5 | 53.6% | 309 |
| July 2026 | 13,013 | 17.1 | 51.8% | 447 |
| August 2026 | 13,036 | 17.4 | 51.6% | 432 |
Which nearby trusts treat ophthalmology?
| Nearby trust | Distance | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Waiting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | about 29 miles | 9.5 | 79.4% | 3,198 |
| Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust | about 31 miles | 15.6 | 55.9% | 6,978 |
| Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust | about 31 miles | 13.8 | 61.0% | 2,267 |
| Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust | about 38 miles | 9.5 | 72.1% | 4,156 |
| Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 39 miles | 12.7 | 64.3% | 4,697 |
| Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust | about 40 miles | 7.1 | 89.5% | 2,599 |
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 University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- Ophthalmology waits at every trust in England
- Search by postcode
- All specialty pages by trust
Other specialties at University Hospitals Sussex
- Cardiology
- Cardiothoracic surgery
- Dermatology
- Ear, nose and throat (ENT)
- Elderly medicine
- Gastroenterology
- General surgery
- Gynaecology
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Oral surgery
- Respiratory medicine
- Rheumatology
- Trauma and orthopaedics
- Urology
Frequently asked questions
How long is the wait for ophthalmology at University Hospitals Sussex?
At the end of August 2026, half of the 13,036 pathways waiting for ophthalmology at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust had waited 17.4 weeks or less, and 51.6% 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 Hospitals Sussex 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, 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, “Ophthalmology waiting times at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust”, NHS England RTT data for August 2026, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/specialty-waits/university-hospitals-sussex-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.
- 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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