Endoscopy – University Hospitals Birmingham NOT LIVE
More than 4 in 10 (43.8%)
people on the endoscopy waiting list had waited under 6 weeks (5,657 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 Birmingham
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 43.8% of the 5,657 people waiting for an endoscopy at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, the main trust serving Birmingham, had waited under 6 weeks, compared with 66.3% across the Midlands region and 69.6% in England. 2,306 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 trusts serving Birmingham, from NHS England’s monthly diagnostics (DM01) statistics for August 2026.
Birmingham: local hospitals and referrals
- Nearest hospital run by University Hospitals Birmingham: Birmingham City Hospital (B18 7QH), about 1 mile from central Birmingham.
- Usually referred to: patients in Birmingham are usually referred to University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust or Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the nearest major hospital. Your GP or referrer can tell you where you would go.
- Nearest community diagnostic centre doing endoscopys: North Solihull CDC (B37 5TT), about 7 miles away. Source: NHS England CDC activity data, Aug 2026.
- Integrated care board: NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB.
- A nearby alternative: The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, about 8 miles away, where 94.3% of its endoscopy list had waited under 6 weeks at the end of Aug 2026.
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 University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
43.8%waiting under 6 weeks
5,657people on the endoscopy waiting list
3,182waiting 6 weeks or more
2,306waiting 13 weeks or more
At the end of August 2026, 5,657 people were waiting for an endoscopy at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. 43.8% had been waiting less than 6 weeks, which is 25.8 percentage points below the England figure of 69.6% and 22.5 percentage points below the Midlands figure of 66.3%. 2,306 people (40.8%) had waited 13 weeks or more.
How long people on the endoscopy list had waited
University Hospitals Birmingham: % waiting under 6 weeks for endoscopy England
| Month | Waiting under 6 weeks | Waiting list | England under 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 43.8% | 5,657 | 69.6% |
| July 2026 | 41.0% | 6,311 | 70.5% |
| June 2026 | 39.8% | 6,884 | 69.4% |
| May 2026 | 37.2% | 7,704 | 69.0% |
| April 2026 | 36.9% | 7,133 | 68.6% |
| March 2026 | 36.9% | 7,380 | 72.2% |
| February 2026 | 34.4% | 7,354 | 72.1% |
Endoscopy waiting list at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
56.0%waiting under 6 weeks
1,801people on the endoscopy waiting list
792waiting 6 weeks or more
436waiting 13 weeks or more
At the end of August 2026, 1,801 people were waiting for an endoscopy at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust. 56.0% had been waiting less than 6 weeks, which is 13.6 percentage points below the England figure of 69.6% and 10.3 percentage points below the Midlands figure of 66.3%. 436 people (24.2%) had waited 13 weeks or more.
How long people on the endoscopy list had waited
Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals: % waiting under 6 weeks for endoscopy England
| Month | Waiting under 6 weeks | Waiting list | England under 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 56.0% | 1,801 | 69.6% |
| July 2026 | 55.3% | 1,847 | 70.5% |
| June 2026 | 53.1% | 1,894 | 69.4% |
| May 2026 | 51.3% | 1,821 | 69.0% |
| April 2026 | 55.7% | 1,966 | 68.6% |
| March 2026 | 70.3% | 1,945 | 72.2% |
| February 2026 | 64.6% | 1,510 | 72.1% |
How Birmingham compares
| Area | Under 6 weeks | Waiting list | 13+ weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | 43.8% | 5,657 | 2,306 |
| Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust | 56.0% | 1,801 | 436 |
| Midlands region | 66.3% | 33,048 | 5,463 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust | about 19 miles | 98.3% | 718 | 0 |
| University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust | about 17 miles | 98.1% | 372 | 1 |
| The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust | about 8 miles | 94.3% | 948 | 3 |
| The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust | about 12 miles | 88.4% | 1,619 | 27 |
| University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust | about 34 miles | 87.1% | 1,725 | 78 |
| Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 54 miles | 86.0% | 973 | 19 |
| Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust | about 45 miles | 62.8% | 2,662 | 377 |
| George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust | about 18 miles | 54.0% | 756 | 162 |
| University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust | about 35 miles | 50.5% | 3,887 | 638 |
| Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 37 miles | 40.6% | 2,670 | 905 |
Endoscopy waits in nearby towns
| Nearby town | Distance | Main trust or board | Endoscopy under 6 weeks | Waiting list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley | 8 miles | The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust | 94.3% | 948 |
| Wolverhampton | 12 miles | The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust | 88.4% | 1,619 |
| Coventry | 17 miles | University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust | 98.1% | 372 |
| Nuneaton | 18 miles | George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust | 54.0% | 756 |
| Warwick | 19 miles | South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust | 98.3% | 718 |
| Leamington Spa | 20 miles | South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust | 98.3% | 718 |
| Leicester | 34 miles | University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust | 87.1% | 1,725 |
| Derby | 35 miles | University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust | 50.5% | 3,887 |
More for Birmingham: all waiting times · A&E waiting times in Birmingham · MRI scan waiting times in Birmingham · CT scan waiting times in Birmingham · Ultrasound waiting times in Birmingham. National picture: Endoscopy waiting times in England · waiting times in the Midlands 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 Birmingham?
At the end of August 2026, 43.8% of the 5,657 people waiting for an endoscopy at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust had waited under 6 weeks, and 2,306 had waited 13 weeks or more. The England figure was 69.6% under 6 weeks.
Are endoscopy waits in Birmingham getting shorter?
The share waiting under 6 weeks at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust was 34.4% in February 2026 and 43.8% in August 2026, up 9.4 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 North Solihull CDC, about 7 miles from Birmingham.
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.