Ultrasound – East Lancashire Hospitals NOT LIVE
More than 9 in 10 (95.0%)
people on the ultrasound waiting list had waited under 6 weeks (5,868 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
Ultrasound waiting times in Burnley
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 95.0% of the 5,868 people waiting for an ultrasound at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, the main trust serving Burnley, had waited under 6 weeks, compared with 88.6% across the North West region and 78.3% in England. 32 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 non-obstetric ultrasound at the hospital trust serving Burnley, from NHS England’s monthly diagnostics (DM01) statistics for August 2026.
Burnley: local hospitals and referrals
- Nearest hospital run by East Lancashire Hospitals: Burnley General Hospital (BB10 2PQ), about 1 mile from central Burnley.
- Usually referred to: patients in Burnley are usually referred to East Lancashire 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 ultrasounds: Burnley CDC (BB10 2PQ), about 1 mile away. Source: NHS England CDC activity data, Aug 2026.
- Integrated care board: NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB.
- A nearby alternative: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, about 16 miles away, where 99.7% of its ultrasound list had waited under 6 weeks at the end of Aug 2026.
What is an ultrasound?
Non-obstetric ultrasound uses sound waves to look at organs such as the liver, kidneys, thyroid and pelvis. Pregnancy scans are not included in these figures.
Ultrasound waiting list at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
95.0%waiting under 6 weeks
5,868people on the ultrasound waiting list
292waiting 6 weeks or more
32waiting 13 weeks or more
At the end of August 2026, 5,868 people were waiting for an non-obstetric ultrasound at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. 95.0% had been waiting less than 6 weeks, which is 16.7 percentage points above the England figure of 78.3% and 6.4 percentage points above the North West figure of 88.6%. 32 people (0.5%) had waited 13 weeks or more.
How long people on the ultrasound list had waited
East Lancashire Hospitals: % waiting under 6 weeks for ultrasound England
| Month | Waiting under 6 weeks | Waiting list | England under 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 95.0% | 5,868 | 78.3% |
| July 2026 | 95.1% | 6,181 | 80.4% |
| June 2026 | 94.6% | 6,231 | 80.1% |
| May 2026 | 90.7% | 6,424 | 79.5% |
| April 2026 | 85.5% | 6,508 | 78.1% |
| March 2026 | 95.8% | 5,570 | 82.3% |
| February 2026 | 100.0% | 3,869 | 83.6% |
How Burnley compares
| Area | Under 6 weeks | Waiting list | 13+ weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust | 95.0% | 5,868 | 32 |
| North West region | 88.6% | 72,391 | 532 |
| England | 78.3% | 648,630 | 30,620 |
Compare all trusts across England on the compare page.
Nearby hospital trusts for non-obstetric ultrasounds
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton NHS Foundation Trust | about 16 miles | 99.7% | 875 | 2 |
| Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 20 miles | 99.2% | 1,063 | 1 |
| Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust | about 31 miles | 98.9% | 4,010 | 1 |
| Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | about 21 miles | 98.5% | 9,358 | 9 |
| Stockport NHS Foundation Trust | about 26 miles | 94.0% | 1,993 | 0 |
| Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust | about 21 miles | 92.9% | 4,205 | 4 |
| Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust | about 32 miles | 92.3% | 1,529 | 13 |
| Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | about 28 miles | 82.2% | 5,988 | 19 |
| Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | about 31 miles | 79.5% | 7,028 | 101 |
| Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 19 miles | 76.1% | 5,872 | 319 |
Ultrasound waits in nearby towns
| Nearby town | Distance | Main trust or board | Ultrasound under 6 weeks | Waiting list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburn | 10 miles | East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust | 95.0% | 5,868 |
| Bolton | 16 miles | Bolton NHS Foundation Trust | 99.7% | 875 |
| Preston | 19 miles | Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 76.1% | 5,872 |
| Bradford | 20 miles | Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 99.2% | 1,063 |
| Salford | 21 miles | Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust | 92.9% | 4,205 |
| Manchester | 21 miles | Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | 98.5% | 9,358 |
| Stockport | 26 miles | Stockport NHS Foundation Trust | 94.0% | 1,993 |
| Leeds | 28 miles | Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | 82.2% | 5,988 |
More for Burnley: all waiting times · A&E waiting times in Burnley · MRI scan waiting times in Burnley · CT scan waiting times in Burnley · Endoscopy waiting times in Burnley. National picture: Ultrasound waiting times in England · waiting times in the North 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 ultrasound in Burnley?
At the end of August 2026, 95.0% of the 5,868 people waiting for an ultrasound at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust had waited under 6 weeks, and 32 had waited 13 weeks or more. The England figure was 78.3% under 6 weeks.
Are ultrasound waits in Burnley getting shorter?
The share waiting under 6 weeks at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust was 100.0% in February 2026 and 95.0% in August 2026, down 5.0 percentage points.
Can I have my ultrasound 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 ultrasounds in NHS England’s Aug 2026 data is Burnley CDC, about 1 mile from Burnley.
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.