Outpatients
Waiting Times
Wait times for first outpatient appointment
We are sorry that many outpatient appointments have been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
Please only contact your GP if your condition worsens during your waiting period. Unfortunately, non-urgent cases cannot be expedited.
Please be assured that we have not forgotten about you. We are working hard across all specialties to review waiting lists and to minimise delays, and we will keep in touch with you about your waiting time.
To ensure patient and staff safety, each specialty is working to provide clinical reviews by telephone or by online video. Patients who need to be seen will be asked to attend face-to-face appointments, where social distancing and hygiene measures are in place.
Patients with, or who live with someone who has COVID-19 symptoms - a high temperature, continuous cough or loss or change in sense of taste or smell - must not attend appointments. Please call the number on your appointment letter to rearrange.
Waiting times for:
The outpatient waiting times listed below indicate the approximate waiting time for each speciality. This wait starts when the hospital receives the referral from the GP until the point of being seen in an outpatient clinic.
These statistics are updated at the beginning of each month and therefore sometimes the waiting times may fluctuate during the month. Some patients will be seen more quickly than the waiting times listed below, such as those on a two-week wait pathway (suspected cancer) and other urgent cases.
Surgery: November 2023
Surgery |
Outpatients (GP Referred) Wait in weeks in excess of: |
General Surgery |
48 |
ENT (Adults) |
45 |
ENT (Paediatric) |
45 |
Ophthalmology - General |
38 |
Ophthalmology surgical pathway - Cataracts |
11 |
Ophthalmology - Glaucoma |
28 |
Ophthalmology - Medical Retina |
22 |
Ophthalmology - Corneal |
30 |
Ophthalmology - Paediatric |
32 |
Ophthalmology surgical pathway - Lids |
1 |
Oral Surgery (Adults) |
26 |
Oral Surgery (Paediatric) | 8 |
Orthodontics | 8 |
Trauma & Orthopaedics - Hands |
10 |
Trauma & Orthopaedics - Knees |
16 |
Trauma & Orthopaedics - Foot & Ankle |
16 |
Trauma & Orthopaedics - Shoulder |
15 |
Trauma & Orthopaedics - Spine |
80 |
Trauma & Orthopaedics - Hips |
16 |
Trauma & Orthopaedics - Paediatric |
56 |
Urology |
42 |
Urology (Paediatric) |
38 |
Medicine: November 2023
Medicine |
Outpatients (GP Referred) Wait in weeks in excess of: |
Cardiology |
45 |
Dermatology (Adults) |
36 |
Dermatology (Paediatric) | 51 |
Diabetic Medicine |
16 |
Endocrinology |
24 |
Gastroenterology |
68 |
Geriatric Medicine |
27 |
Neurology |
40 |
Respiratory |
12 |
Rheumatology | 27 |
Family and Specialist Services: November 2023
Family & Specialist Services |
Outpatients (GP Referred) Wait in weeks in excess of: |
Gynaecology |
46 |
Paediatrics - General |
37 |
Paediatrics - Allergy | 25 |
Paediatrics - Cardiology | 36 |
Radiology: November 2023
This is a guide to the average waiting time for a non-specialised scan.
Outpatient and Radiology waiting times
Current general referral waiting times (please note urgent & specialised scans waiting times will differ): |
Urgent
Approximate wait in weeks |
Routine
Approximate wait in weeks: |
CT Scan | 3-4 |
30 |
MRI Scan | 2-3 |
6-8 |
General Ultrasound Scan MSK Ultrasound Neck/Thyroid Ultrasound |
2 2-3 2-3 |
22+ 40+ 24+ |
Plain film X-Ray
|
2 |
6-7 6-8 |