Endoscopy – Royal Devon University Healthcare NOT LIVE
3 in 4 (76.2%)
people on the endoscopy waiting list had waited under 6 weeks (1,974 waiting).
Official monthly figure, end of Aug 2026 · published 8 October 2026 · NHS England
Diagnostics (DM01) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026
Endoscopy waiting times in Barnstaple
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 76.2% of the 1,974 people waiting for an endoscopy at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, the main trust serving Barnstaple, had waited under 6 weeks, compared with 76.5% across the South West region and 69.6% in England. 66 people had waited 13 weeks or more. The NHS standard is that fewer than 1% wait 6 weeks or more.
Source: NHS England diagnostics (DM01) statistics, published 8 October 2026. These are past figures, not a forecast of how long you will wait.
How long people are waiting for an endoscopy at the hospital trust serving Barnstaple, from NHS England’s monthly diagnostics (DM01) statistics for August 2026.
Barnstaple: local hospitals and referrals
- Nearest hospital run by Royal Devon University Healthcare: North Devon District Hospital (EX31 4JB), under a mile from central Barnstaple.
- Usually referred to: patients in Barnstaple are usually referred to Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the nearest major hospital. Your GP or referrer can tell you where you would go.
- Nearest community diagnostic centre doing endoscopys: Devon Exeter Nightingale CDC (EX2 7JG), about 36 miles away. Source: NHS England CDC activity data, Aug 2026.
- Integrated care board: NHS Devon ICB.
What is an endoscopy?
Endoscopy here combines the four NHS England endoscopy tests: colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, cystoscopy and gastroscopy, where a thin camera is used to look inside the body.
Endoscopy waiting list at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
76.2%waiting under 6 weeks
1,974people on the endoscopy waiting list
469waiting 6 weeks or more
66waiting 13 weeks or more
At the end of August 2026, 1,974 people were waiting for an endoscopy at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. 76.2% had been waiting less than 6 weeks, which is 6.6 percentage points above the England figure of 69.6% and 0.3 percentage points below the South West figure of 76.5%. 66 people (3.3%) had waited 13 weeks or more.
How long people on the endoscopy list had waited
Royal Devon University Healthcare: % waiting under 6 weeks for endoscopy England
| Month | Waiting under 6 weeks | Waiting list | England under 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 76.2% | 1,974 | 69.6% |
| July 2026 | 69.8% | 2,119 | 70.5% |
| June 2026 | 68.8% | 2,186 | 69.4% |
| May 2026 | 72.1% | 2,238 | 69.0% |
| April 2026 | 71.3% | 2,109 | 68.6% |
| March 2026 | 79.0% | 2,011 | 72.2% |
| February 2026 | 75.4% | 2,041 | 72.1% |
How Barnstaple compares
| Area | Under 6 weeks | Waiting list | 13+ weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | 76.2% | 1,974 | 66 |
| South West region | 76.5% | 19,224 | 941 |
| England | 69.6% | 197,640 | 26,159 |
Compare all trusts across England on the compare page.
Nearby hospital trusts for endoscopys
Trusts serving towns within about 60 miles, ordered by the share of their list waiting under 6 weeks. In England you can usually ask your GP which hospitals you could be referred to; waiting lists change from month to month.
| Trust | Distance (town) | Under 6 weeks | Waiting list | 13+ weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust | about 49 miles | 77.4% | 1,058 | 44 |
| University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust | about 48 miles | 72.9% | 1,345 | 37 |
| Somerset NHS Foundation Trust | about 42 miles | 64.9% | 2,328 | 220 |
Endoscopy waits in nearby towns
| Nearby town | Distance | Main trust or board | Endoscopy under 6 weeks | Waiting list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiverton | 28 miles | Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | 76.2% | 1,974 |
| Exeter | 34 miles | Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | 76.2% | 1,974 |
| Taunton | 42 miles | Somerset NHS Foundation Trust | 64.9% | 2,328 |
| Bridgwater | 46 miles | Somerset NHS Foundation Trust | 64.9% | 2,328 |
| Plymouth | 48 miles | University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust | 72.9% | 1,345 |
| Torquay | 49 miles | Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust | 77.4% | 1,058 |
More for Barnstaple: all waiting times · A&E waiting times in Barnstaple · MRI scan waiting times in Barnstaple · CT scan waiting times in Barnstaple · Ultrasound waiting times in Barnstaple. National picture: Endoscopy waiting times in England · waiting times in the South West region.
Understanding the 6-week figure
NHS England counts everyone on the waiting list for a test at the end of each month and how many weeks they have waited since referral. The standard is that fewer than 1% of patients wait 6 weeks or more. Urgent referrals, including suspected cancer, are usually prioritised, so routine waits can be longer than the average suggests. If your wait is much longer than you were told, contact the hospital’s booking team or the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).
Sources and dates
| Official statistics | Reporting period | Published | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHS England: Diagnostics waiting times (DM01) | August 2026 | 8 October 2026 | Official source |
This page was last updated on 2 November 2026. The reporting period is the time the figures describe; the published date is when the official publisher released them. These figures describe people who were already waiting or attending during the reporting period. They are not a forecast or a guarantee of how long someone referred now will wait: that depends on clinical urgency, the hospital and the service.
Official statistics are reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See data sources and methods, or report a figure that looks wrong.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the wait for an endoscopy in Barnstaple?
At the end of August 2026, 76.2% of the 1,974 people waiting for an endoscopy at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust had waited under 6 weeks, and 66 had waited 13 weeks or more. The England figure was 69.6% under 6 weeks.
Are endoscopy waits in Barnstaple getting shorter?
The share waiting under 6 weeks at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was 75.4% in February 2026 and 76.2% in August 2026, up 0.8 percentage points.
Can I have my endoscopy somewhere else?
In England you can usually discuss with your GP or the referring clinician which hospitals or community diagnostic centres you could be referred to. Waiting times at nearby trusts are listed on this page as a starting point. The nearest community diagnostic centre recording endoscopys in NHS England’s Aug 2026 data is Devon Exeter Nightingale CDC, about 36 miles from Barnstaple.
How often are these figures updated?
NHS England publishes A&E, diagnostics (DM01) and referral to treatment (RTT) statistics every month, usually on the second Thursday. A&E figures cover the previous month; diagnostics and RTT figures are a month further behind. This site refreshes when new files are published.