My Planned Care explained, and what this site adds
Two sites use the same NHS England figures and answer different questions. Use both.
My Planned Care
NHS England. myplannedcare.nhs.uk
- One trust at a time, by region.
- Average waits for a first appointment and for treatment, per specialty.
- The trust's own advice for people waiting, and links to its support.
- Official, maintained by the NHS.
Best for: the official figure for the hospital you are already with, and that hospital's own guidance.
CheckWaitingTimes
Independent. Not part of the NHS.
- Every hospital within 25 miles of you, side by side, ranked by wait. 533 providers, 23 specialties.
- Independent hospitals that take NHS referrals, marked "Free on the NHS".
- A band, not an average: from the point where half of patients were treated to where 9 in 10 were.
- What to do next: a printable sheet for your GP, your right to choose, and a letter if you have waited over 18 weeks.
- Live A&E waits where hospitals publish them.
Best for: choosing where to be referred, and deciding whether to move.
Why the numbers can look different
Both draw on NHS England's monthly referral to treatment statistics. My Planned Care quotes an average; this site shows where half and 9 in 10 of patients fell, because an average hides the long tail that worries people most. Both cover whole specialties rather than single operations, and both run about six weeks behind, so the month on each page matters. This site's figures currently cover August 2026.
Sources: My Planned Care; NHS England RTT statistics. Last checked 14 October 2026.