Ultrasound – Royal Berkshire NOT LIVE
Nearly all (98.8%)
people on the ultrasound waiting list had waited under 6 weeks (2,654 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 Reading
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 98.8% of the 2,654 people waiting for an ultrasound at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, the main trust serving Reading, had waited under 6 weeks, compared with 79.2% across the South East region and 78.3% in England. 27 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 Reading, from NHS England’s monthly diagnostics (DM01) statistics for August 2026.
Reading: local hospitals and referrals
- Nearest hospital run by Royal Berkshire: Royal Berkshire Hospital (RG1 5AN), under a mile from central Reading.
- Usually referred to: patients in Reading are usually referred to Royal Berkshire 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 ultrasounds: Bracknell Healthspace CDC (RG12 9RT), about 11 miles away. Source: NHS England CDC activity data, Aug 2026.
- Integrated care board: NHS Thames Valley ICB.
- A nearby alternative: Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, about 12 miles away, where 95.2% 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 Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
98.8%waiting under 6 weeks
2,654people on the ultrasound waiting list
31waiting 6 weeks or more
27waiting 13 weeks or more
At the end of August 2026, 2,654 people were waiting for an non-obstetric ultrasound at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust. 98.8% had been waiting less than 6 weeks, which is 20.5 percentage points above the England figure of 78.3% and 19.6 percentage points above the South East figure of 79.2%. 27 people (1.0%) had waited 13 weeks or more.
How long people on the ultrasound list had waited
Royal Berkshire: % waiting under 6 weeks for ultrasound England
| Month | Waiting under 6 weeks | Waiting list | England under 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 98.8% | 2,654 | 78.3% |
| July 2026 | 97.3% | 2,973 | 80.4% |
| June 2026 | 80.9% | 3,492 | 80.1% |
| May 2026 | 75.5% | 3,685 | 79.5% |
| April 2026 | 69.1% | 3,750 | 78.1% |
| March 2026 | 89.8% | 3,477 | 82.3% |
| February 2026 | 85.1% | 3,413 | 83.6% |
How Reading compares
| Area | Under 6 weeks | Waiting list | 13+ weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust | 98.8% | 2,654 | 27 |
| South East region | 79.2% | 129,151 | 8,460 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust | about 23 miles | 99.3% | 2,326 | 0 |
| Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust | about 31 miles | 99.2% | 7,081 | 2 |
| Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust | about 12 miles | 95.2% | 8,431 | 68 |
| University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 36 miles | 95.0% | 1,863 | 10 |
| Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 24 miles | 91.7% | 5,380 | 2 |
| Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 13 miles | 91.1% | 4,256 | 0 |
| Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | about 36 miles | 84.4% | 4,160 | 80 |
| Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust | about 36 miles | 82.1% | 12,588 | 50 |
| Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | about 36 miles | 73.5% | 7,008 | 32 |
| Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 20 miles | 67.3% | 6,326 | 12 |
Ultrasound waits in nearby towns
| Nearby town | Distance | Main trust or board | Ultrasound under 6 weeks | Waiting list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maidenhead | 12 miles | Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust | 95.2% | 8,431 |
| Basingstoke | 13 miles | Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 91.1% | 4,256 |
| Slough | 17 miles | Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust | 95.2% | 8,431 |
| Woking | 20 miles | Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 67.3% | 6,326 |
| Guildford | 23 miles | Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust | 99.3% | 2,326 |
| Oxford | 24 miles | Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 91.7% | 5,380 |
| Winchester | 31 miles | Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 91.1% | 4,256 |
| Epsom | 31 miles | Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust | 99.2% | 7,081 |
More for Reading: all waiting times · A&E waiting times in Reading · MRI scan waiting times in Reading · CT scan waiting times in Reading · Endoscopy waiting times in Reading. National picture: Ultrasound waiting times in England · waiting times in the South East 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 Reading?
At the end of August 2026, 98.8% of the 2,654 people waiting for an ultrasound at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust had waited under 6 weeks, and 27 had waited 13 weeks or more. The England figure was 78.3% under 6 weeks.
Are ultrasound waits in Reading getting shorter?
The share waiting under 6 weeks at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust was 85.1% in February 2026 and 98.8% in August 2026, up 13.7 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 Bracknell Healthspace CDC, about 11 miles from Reading.
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.