Ultrasound – Royal Cornwall Hospitals NOT LIVE
Nearly all (98.6%)
people on the ultrasound waiting list had waited under 6 weeks (1,961 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 Penzance
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 98.6% of the 1,961 people waiting for an ultrasound at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, the main trust serving Penzance, had waited under 6 weeks, compared with 87.6% across the South West region and 78.3% in England. 3 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 Penzance, from NHS England’s monthly diagnostics (DM01) statistics for August 2026.
Penzance: local hospitals and referrals
- Nearest hospital run by Royal Cornwall Hospitals: West Cornwall Hospital (Penzance) (TR18 2PF), under a mile from central Penzance.
- Usually referred to: patients in Penzance are usually referred to Royal Cornwall 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: West Cornwall CDC (TR18 2PF), under a mile away. Source: NHS England CDC activity data, Aug 2026.
- Integrated care board: NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICB.
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 Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
98.6%waiting under 6 weeks
1,961people on the ultrasound waiting list
28waiting 6 weeks or more
3waiting 13 weeks or more
At the end of August 2026, 1,961 people were waiting for an non-obstetric ultrasound at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. 98.6% had been waiting less than 6 weeks, which is 20.3 percentage points above the England figure of 78.3% and 11.0 percentage points above the South West figure of 87.6%. 3 people (0.2%) had waited 13 weeks or more.
How long people on the ultrasound list had waited
Royal Cornwall Hospitals: % waiting under 6 weeks for ultrasound England
| Month | Waiting under 6 weeks | Waiting list | England under 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 98.6% | 1,961 | 78.3% |
| July 2026 | 98.7% | 1,726 | 80.4% |
| June 2026 | 97.5% | 1,356 | 80.1% |
| May 2026 | 99.5% | 1,489 | 79.5% |
| April 2026 | 98.7% | 1,381 | 78.1% |
| March 2026 | 98.9% | 1,522 | 82.3% |
| February 2026 | 98.8% | 1,575 | 83.6% |
How Penzance compares
| Area | Under 6 weeks | Waiting list | 13+ weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | 98.6% | 1,961 | 3 |
| South West region | 87.6% | 45,464 | 526 |
| England | 78.3% | 648,630 | 30,620 |
Compare all trusts across England on the compare page.
Nearby hospital trusts for non-obstetric ultrasounds
No other NHS trust serving a town within about 60 miles of Penzance reported a ultrasound waiting list of 100 or more. Compare ultrasound waits across England.
Ultrasound waits in nearby towns
| Nearby town | Distance | Main trust or board | Ultrasound under 6 weeks | Waiting list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falmouth | 21 miles | Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | 98.6% | 1,961 |
| Truro | 24 miles | Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | 98.6% | 1,961 |
| Newquay | 29 miles | Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | 98.6% | 1,961 |
More for Penzance: all waiting times · A&E waiting times in Penzance · MRI scan waiting times in Penzance · CT scan waiting times in Penzance · Endoscopy waiting times in Penzance. National picture: Ultrasound 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 ultrasound in Penzance?
At the end of August 2026, 98.6% of the 1,961 people waiting for an ultrasound at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust had waited under 6 weeks, and 3 had waited 13 weeks or more. The England figure was 78.3% under 6 weeks.
Are ultrasound waits in Penzance getting shorter?
The share waiting under 6 weeks at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust was 98.8% in February 2026 and 98.6% in August 2026, down 0.2 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 West Cornwall CDC, under a mile from Penzance.
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.