Diagnostics (DM01) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Scotland diagnostics data for June 2026, published 25 August 2026 · Wales diagnostics data for August 2026, published 22 October 2026 · Northern Ireland diagnostics data for Quarter ending June 2026, published 3 September 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026

Ultrasound waiting times

Name: Ultrasound waiting times in England (August 2026)
Creator: NHS England
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

How long people are waiting for an non-obstetric ultrasound in England, by region and NHS trust, from NHS England’s diagnostics (DM01) statistics for August 2026, plus Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 648,630 people in England were waiting for an non-obstetric ultrasound and 78.3% had waited under 6 weeks. 30,620 people had waited 13 weeks or more. The NHS standard is that fewer than 1% wait 6 weeks or more. By NHS England region the share under 6 weeks ranged from 70.7% to 88.6%.

Source: NHS England diagnostics (DM01) statistics, published 8 October 2026. These are past figures, not a forecast of how long you will wait.

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.

648,630people waiting in England

78.3%waiting under 6 weeks

140,474waiting 6 weeks or more

30,620waiting 13 weeks or more

At the end of August 2026, 648,630 people in England were waiting for an non-obstetric ultrasound. 78.3% had waited under 6 weeks, down 5.3 percentage points since February 2026. The standard is that fewer than 1% wait 6 weeks or more.

How long people had waited

0–1 weeks127,352

1–2 weeks106,604

2–3 weeks89,036

3–4 weeks75,373

4–5 weeks62,103

5–6 weeks47,688

6–7 weeks27,723

7–8 weeks22,189

8–9 weeks17,548

9–10 weeks14,262

10–11 weeks11,767

11–12 weeks9,266

12–13 weeks7,099

13+ weeks30,620

England trend

England: % waiting under 6 weeks for ultrasound

By region

Region	Under 6 weeks	Waiting list	13+ weeks
North West	88.6%	72,391	532
South West	87.6%	45,464	526
London	80.0%	112,903	2,603
South East	79.2%	129,151	8,460
North East and Yorkshire	77.8%	89,123	6,260
East of England	72.2%	77,322	3,355
Midlands	70.7%	122,276	8,884

Trusts in England

Trusts with at least 200 people on the ultrasound waiting list, ordered by share waiting under 6 weeks. Includes independent-sector and specialist providers, which can have shorter lists.

#	Provider	Region	Under 6 weeks	Waiting list	13+ weeks	Towns
1	Croydon Health Services NHS Trust	London	100.0%	4,817	0	Croydon
2	South East Ultrasound Ltd	South East	100.0%	2,926	0
3	Sydenham House Medical Centre	South East	100.0%	599	0
4	The Grange Practice	South East	100.0%	375	0
5	Whitstable Medical Practice	South East	100.0%	214	0
6	Diagnostic World Ltd	Midlands	100.0%	1,257	0
7	Essexultrasound & Medical Services Ltd	East of England	100.0%	5,183	0
8	Lakeside Medical Diagnostics	East of England	100.0%	1,254	0
9	Curx Health Limited	North West	100.0%	450	0
10	Direct Medicare UK Ltd	North West	100.0%	384	0
11	North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust	North West	100.0%	1,853	0
12	Yorkshire Health Solutions Ltd	North West	100.0%	696	0
13	Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	100.0%	2,366	0
14	Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	100.0%	6,984	0
15	The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	100.0%	1,342	0	Rotherham
16	The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust	Midlands	99.9%	3,021	0	Wolverhampton
17	Physiological Measurements Ltd	Midlands	99.8%	6,219	0
18	Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust	North West	99.8%	1,179	0
19	Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust	South West	99.7%	335	0
20	Patient Care Locally CIC	Midlands	99.7%	1,877	0
21	Bolton NHS Foundation Trust	North West	99.7%	875	2	Bolton
22	Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	South East	99.6%	757	0
23	University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust	Midlands	99.6%	3,842	1	Coventry, Warwick, Leamington Spa
24	Medway NHS Foundation Trust	South East	99.5%	745	0
25	The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	99.5%	412	0
26	Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust	South East	99.3%	2,326	0	Guildford
27	Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust	London	99.2%	7,081	2	Epsom
28	East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	South East	99.2%	1,711	0	Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes
29	Isle of Wight NHS Trust	South East	99.2%	726	0
30	Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	99.2%	1,063	1	Bradford
31	Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	South West	99.1%	1,321	2	Dorchester, Weymouth
32	University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust	South West	99.1%	2,572	3	Bournemouth, Poole
33	Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	99.1%	235	1
34	South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	99.1%	3,158	1
35	Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South West	98.9%	2,329	0
36	Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust	North East and Yorkshire	98.9%	4,010	1	Wakefield
37	Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust	South East	98.8%	2,654	27	Reading, Maidenhead
38	Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	North West	98.8%	2,719	5	Wirral
39	North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	98.7%	2,024	0
40	Whittington Health NHS Trust	London	98.6%	3,290	0
41	Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust	South West	98.6%	1,961	3	Truro, Falmouth, Penzance
42	Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust	North West	98.5%	9,358	9	Manchester
43	Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	98.4%	2,496	0	Gateshead
44	Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	98.1%	2,992	2
45	Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	London	97.9%	3,903	0	Hackney
46	King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	London	97.6%	5,686	4
47	University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust	Midlands	97.6%	5,372	8	Leicester, Loughborough
48	Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	97.5%	3,419	3	Doncaster
49	Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	97.1%	2,664	1	Mansfield
50	The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	96.9%	3,970	4	Newcastle upon Tyne
51	Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	South East	96.6%	974	0
52	Oaklands Hospital	North West	95.9%	219	1
53	Airedale NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	95.8%	1,433	0
54	Wye Valley NHS Trust	Midlands	95.7%	1,467	0
55	Cora Health Diagnostics (Formerly Healthshare Diagnostics)	South East	95.6%	21,955	1
56	Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust	South East	95.2%	8,431	68	Slough, Maidenhead
57	University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	London	95.0%	1,863	10	Camden
58	Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust	South West	95.0%	1,732	3
59	East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust	North West	95.0%	5,868	32	Blackburn, Burnley
60	Diagnostic Healthcare Ltd	North West	94.9%	2,739	3
61	George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust	Midlands	94.7%	1,061	4	Nuneaton
62	Korus Health	South West	94.3%	2,762	0
63	Stockport NHS Foundation Trust	North West	94.0%	1,993	0	Stockport
64	Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	93.5%	3,133	30
65	The Avicenna Medical Practice	North East and Yorkshire	93.0%	229	0
66	Surgimed Healthcare Ltd	London	92.9%	2,100	0
67	Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust	North West	92.9%	4,205	4	Salford
68	Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	92.3%	5,655	0	Liverpool
69	Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	92.3%	1,529	13	Harrogate
70	Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South West	92.0%	3,522	63
71	South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	92.0%	3,035	35	Warwick, Leamington Spa
72	Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust	North West	91.8%	667	5
73	Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South East	91.7%	5,380	2	Oxford, Banbury, Bicester
74	East Cheshire NHS Trust	North West	91.6%	2,259	6
75	University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust	South East	91.3%	7,115	10	Brighton, Worthing, Crawley
76	Barts Health NHS Trust	London	91.1%	8,762	112
77	Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South East	91.1%	4,256	0	Winchester, Basingstoke
78	East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	91.1%	6,129	2
79	The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	London	90.9%	1,834	31
80	Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust	London	90.7%	601	4
81	Bristol NHS Foundation Trust	South West	89.9%	9,556	2
82	University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust	Midlands	89.8%	4,804	52
83	University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust	South East	89.4%	3,329	11	Southampton
84	Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust	South East	88.7%	3,789	12	Portsmouth
85	Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust	South East	88.1%	8,880	3	Dartford
86	Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	87.2%	3,854	35	Chesterfield
87	Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust	Midlands	86.5%	5,233	147	Birmingham
88	Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	86.5%	2,919	3
89	Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust	South East	86.4%	1,406	2
90	Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust	South West	86.0%	3,261	94	Bath
91	Dorking Healthcare Limited (Dhc)	South East	86.0%	974	0
92	Somerset NHS Foundation Trust	South West	84.8%	4,396	43	Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater
93	Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust	London	84.4%	4,160	80	Westminster
94	Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	84.1%	2,243	11
95	University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust	North West	83.8%	3,474	9
96	Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	83.7%	1,609	43
97	Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	83.1%	5,641	3
98	Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	North East and Yorkshire	82.2%	5,988	19	Leeds
99	Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust	London	82.1%	12,588	50	Camden
100	Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	81.8%	4,727	1
101	North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	81.4%	3,840	0
102	The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	81.3%	2,317	24
103	Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust	Midlands	80.9%	1,706	0
104	Newton Place Surgery	South East	80.0%	205	24
105	Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	North West	79.9%	3,218	0
106	Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust	South East	79.8%	5,547	0	Maidstone
107	University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust	South West	79.6%	4,062	48	Plymouth
108	Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	North West	79.5%	7,028	101	St Helens
109	James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	79.1%	1,820	34
110	Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	78.4%	4,733	12
111	Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust	South East	77.7%	2,265	215
112	University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	77.0%	7,223	48	Derby
113	Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	76.5%	3,767	79
114	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	76.1%	5,872	319	Preston
115	Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust	London	75.7%	5,365	70
116	South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	75.1%	5,766	21	Sunderland
117	London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust	London	74.5%	6,975	316
118	Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	South West	74.4%	4,570	76	Exeter, Barnstaple, Tiverton
119	Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre - St Marys Portsmouth	South East	74.0%	1,251	0
120	Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	London	73.5%	7,008	32	Westminster
121	Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust	London	73.2%	7,593	96
122	Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	South East	72.4%	4,131	207	Crawley
123	West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	72.4%	2,918	26
124	Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust	South West	71.9%	2,330	107	Torquay
125	Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	North East and Yorkshire	69.7%	5,497	5
126	The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust	East of England	69.0%	5,624	486
127	County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	68.6%	7,090	440
128	York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	68.0%	5,177	148	York, Scarborough
129	Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South East	67.3%	6,326	12	Woking
130	The Yorkshire Clinic	North East and Yorkshire	66.4%	268	49
131	Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	65.9%	5,550	603
132	The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	65.1%	3,954	0	Dudley
133	Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust	Midlands	63.4%	4,920	11
134	The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust	Midlands	63.4%	5,472	31
135	St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	London	63.1%	10,696	89
136	Mid & South Buckinghamshire Diagnostic NHS Centre	South East	62.7%	2,440	47
137	Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	62.5%	5,115	687
138	Suffolk GP Federation	East of England	61.3%	2,656	37
139	Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust	London	61.2%	12,569	519	Greenwich
140	Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North West	61.2%	3,429	22
141	West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	East of England	60.2%	8,463	653
142	East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust	East of England	59.2%	8,738	119
143	University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust	Midlands	57.5%	16,455	1,265	Birmingham
144	Insidevue Limited	South East	56.4%	748	9
145	Beacon Medical Services Group Limited	North West	56.1%	1,360	0
146	Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust	London	55.4%	4,935	1,161
147	North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust	East of England	53.5%	7,245	509
148	Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	Midlands	50.7%	8,326	926
149	Inhealth Limited	South East	48.6%	14,413	3,613
150	Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust	Midlands	48.4%	6,439	945	Nottingham
151	United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	Midlands	38.6%	17,152	5,208
152	Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	North East and Yorkshire	34.3%	13,625	5,459	Sheffield
153	East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust	South East	32.2%	11,064	3,904	Canterbury, Ashford
154	The Cherwell Hospital	South East	31.3%	556	280
155	Blakelands Hospital	East of England	29.1%	268	107

Scotland

Scottish diagnostic figures count people waiting more than 6 weeks (42 days) at the end of the month, from Public Health Scotland. Not NHS England data. Scotland overall: 26.9% of 37,464 waiting over 6 weeks (June 2026).

Board / trust	% over 6 weeks	Waiting list
NHS Fife	0.1%	1,358
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	0.8%	1,569
NHS Highland	1.2%	1,121
Golden Jubilee National Hospital	2.7%	74
NHS Borders	3.6%	768
NHS Orkney	5.3%	19
NHS Lothian	8.4%	3,944
NHS Western Isles	12.1%	190
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	15.7%	1,228
NHS Forth Valley	16.1%	2,345
NHS Grampian	22.5%	3,258
NHS Tayside	34.1%	5,062
NHS Shetland	38.9%	131
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	39.8%	10,587
NHS Lanarkshire	40.0%	5,884

Wales

Welsh diagnostic figures use an 8-week measure (people waiting more than 8 weeks), not the 6-week measure used in England and Scotland, so the numbers are not directly comparable. Not NHS England data. Wales overall: 36.8% of 41,885 waiting over 8 weeks (August 2026).

Board / trust	% over 8 weeks	Waiting list
Powys Teaching Health Board	0.0%	624
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board	23.8%	6,584
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board	31.2%	8,656
Swansea Bay University Health Board	36.2%	5,184
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board	37.4%	6,471
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board	44.5%	7,031
Hywel Dda University Health Board	51.0%	7,335

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland diagnostic figures are published quarterly by the Department of Health and count people waiting more than 6 weeks at the end of the quarter. Not NHS England data. Northern Ireland overall: 63.7% of 36,351 waiting over 6 weeks (Quarter ending June 2026).

Board / trust	% over 6 weeks	Waiting list
Belfast HSC Trust	37.8%	3,629
Southern HSC Trust	43.4%	5,125
Western HSC Trust	60.0%	5,957
South Eastern HSC Trust	65.9%	8,292
Northern HSC Trust	78.9%	13,348

Ultrasound waits by town

Aberdeen · Antrim · Ashford · Ballymena · Banbury · Bangor (County Down) · Bangor (Gwynedd) · Barnstaple · Basingstoke · Bath · Belfast · Bicester · Birmingham · Blackburn · Bolton · Bournemouth · Bradford · Bridgwater · Brighton · Burnley · Camden · Canterbury · Cardiff · Chesterfield · Coventry · Crawley · Croydon · Dartford · Derby · Doncaster · Dorchester · Dudley · Dunfermline · East Kilbride · Eastbourne · Edinburgh · Epsom · Exeter · Falmouth · Flint · Gateshead · Glasgow · Greenwich · Guildford · Hackney · Hamilton · Harrogate · Hastings · Inverness · Kirkcaldy · Leamington Spa · Leeds · Leicester · Lewes · Liverpool · Londonderry / Derry · Loughborough · Maidenhead · Maidstone · Manchester · Mansfield · Newcastle upon Tyne · Newport · Newquay · Newry · Nottingham · Nuneaton · Oxford · Penzance · Plymouth · Pontypridd · Poole · Portsmouth · Preston · Reading · Rotherham · Salford · Scarborough · Sheffield · Slough · Southampton · St Helens · Stockport · Sunderland · Swansea · Taunton · Tiverton · Torquay · Truro · Wakefield · Warwick · Westminster · Weymouth · Winchester · Wirral · Woking · Wolverhampton · Worthing · Yeovil · York

Compare ultrasound waits with A&E, cancer and treatment waits for every trust on the compare NHS trusts page. Other tests: MRI scan waiting times · CT scan waiting times · Endoscopy waiting times.

Sources and dates

Official statistics	Reporting period	Published	Link
NHS England: Diagnostics waiting times (DM01)	August 2026	8 October 2026	Official source
Public Health Scotland: Scotland diagnostic waiting times (key tests)	June 2026	25 August 2026	Official source
Welsh Government (StatsWales): Wales emergency department and diagnostic waiting times (diagnostics)	August 2026	22 October 2026	Official source
Department of Health (Northern Ireland): Northern Ireland diagnostic waiting times (quarterly)	Quarter ending June 2026	3 September 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. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use different measures and periods, so their figures are shown separately and are not directly comparable with England.

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 non-obstetric ultrasound in England?

At the end of August 2026, 78.3% of the 648,630 people waiting had waited under 6 weeks and 30,620 had waited 13 weeks or more.

What is the diagnostic waiting time standard?

The NHS constitution standard is that fewer than 1% of patients should wait 6 weeks or more for a diagnostic test after referral.

Do urgent referrals wait as long?

No. Urgent referrals, including suspected cancer, are prioritised. The figures cover everyone on the list, so routine waits can be longer than the average suggests.

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.