Endoscopy – Somerset NOT LIVE
2 in 3 (64.9%)
people on the endoscopy waiting list had waited under 6 weeks (2,328 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 Taunton
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 64.9% of the 2,328 people waiting for an endoscopy at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, the main trust serving Taunton, had waited under 6 weeks, compared with 76.5% across the South West region and 69.6% in England. 220 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 Taunton, from NHS England’s monthly diagnostics (DM01) statistics for August 2026.
Taunton: local hospitals and referrals
- Nearest hospital run by Somerset: Trinity Hospital (TA1 3JG), under a mile from central Taunton.
- Usually referred to: patients in Taunton are usually referred to Somerset 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: Bridgewater CDC (TA6 4GU), about 10 miles away. Source: NHS England CDC activity data, Aug 2026.
- Integrated care board: NHS Somerset ICB.
- A nearby alternative: Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, about 19 miles away, where 76.2% 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 Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
64.9%waiting under 6 weeks
2,328people on the endoscopy waiting list
817waiting 6 weeks or more
220waiting 13 weeks or more
At the end of August 2026, 2,328 people were waiting for an endoscopy at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. 64.9% had been waiting less than 6 weeks, which is 4.7 percentage points below the England figure of 69.6% and 11.6 percentage points below the South West figure of 76.5%. 220 people (9.5%) had waited 13 weeks or more.
How long people on the endoscopy list had waited
Somerset: % waiting under 6 weeks for endoscopy England
| Month | Waiting under 6 weeks | Waiting list | England under 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 64.9% | 2,328 | 69.6% |
| July 2026 | 62.8% | 2,078 | 70.5% |
| June 2026 | 62.7% | 2,121 | 69.4% |
| May 2026 | 58.9% | 2,229 | 69.0% |
| April 2026 | 59.2% | 2,332 | 68.6% |
| March 2026 | 60.0% | 2,462 | 72.2% |
| February 2026 | 59.3% | 2,450 | 72.1% |
How Taunton compares
| Area | Under 6 weeks | Waiting list | 13+ weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset NHS Foundation Trust | 64.9% | 2,328 | 220 |
| 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 43 miles | 77.4% | 1,058 | 44 |
| University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust | about 53 miles | 76.5% | 2,749 | 159 |
| Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | about 19 miles | 76.2% | 1,974 | 66 |
| Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust | about 41 miles | 73.7% | 575 | 12 |
| Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | about 36 miles | 68.8% | 986 | 85 |
Endoscopy waits in nearby towns
| Nearby town | Distance | Main trust or board | Endoscopy under 6 weeks | Waiting list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgwater | 9 miles | Somerset NHS Foundation Trust | 64.9% | 2,328 |
| Tiverton | 19 miles | Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | 76.2% | 1,974 |
| Yeovil | 21 miles | Somerset NHS Foundation Trust | 64.9% | 2,328 |
| Exeter | 28 miles | Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | 76.2% | 1,974 |
| Dorchester | 36 miles | Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 68.8% | 986 |
| Weymouth | 40 miles | Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 68.8% | 986 |
| Bath | 41 miles | Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust | 73.7% | 575 |
| Barnstaple | 42 miles | Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | 76.2% | 1,974 |
More for Taunton: all waiting times · A&E waiting times in Taunton · MRI scan waiting times in Taunton · CT scan waiting times in Taunton · Ultrasound waiting times in Taunton. 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 Taunton?
At the end of August 2026, 64.9% of the 2,328 people waiting for an endoscopy at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust had waited under 6 weeks, and 220 had waited 13 weeks or more. The England figure was 69.6% under 6 weeks.
Are endoscopy waits in Taunton getting shorter?
The share waiting under 6 weeks at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust was 59.3% in February 2026 and 64.9% in August 2026, up 5.6 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 Bridgewater CDC, about 10 miles from Taunton.
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.