Ipswich and Colchester waiting times
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust runs Ipswich Hospital and Colchester Hospital. Here is how long people waited for treatment there, by specialty, in August 2026.
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust. Colchester, East of England, CO4 5JL. ODS code RDE.
Hospital waiting times near Colchester. A&E waiting times near Colchester.
A&E in September 2026
59% of 12,846 people at this trust's 24-hour A&E departments were seen, treated and admitted or sent home within 4 hours. 858 people waited over 12 hours for a bed after a decision to admit.
Over the last 18 months: Apr 25 52%, May 25 51%, Jun 25 48%, Jul 25 51%, Aug 25 51%, Sep 25 46%, Oct 25 46%, Nov 25 54%, Dec 25 54%, Jan 26 53%, Feb 26 57%, Mar 26 57%, Apr 26 59%, May 26 60%, Jun 26 58%, Jul 26 58%, Aug 26 58%, Sep 26 59%.
Covers every A&E this trust runs. How every trust compares.
Waits by specialty
Each band runs from the point where half of patients had been treated to the point where 9 in 10 had.
| Specialty | Treated waits | Waiting now | Within 18 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiology | 14 to 50 weeks | 10 to 34 weeks | 73% |
| Dermatology | 12 to 41 weeks | 10 to 30 weeks | 71% |
| Ear, nose and throat | 27 to 52 weeks | 18 to 40 weeks | 51% |
| Elderly medicine | 8 to 20 weeks | 4 to 11 weeks | 98% |
| Gastroenterology | 10 to 37 weeks | 11 to 38 weeks | 67% |
| General internal medicine | 37 to 55 weeks | 25 to 51 weeks | 35% |
| General surgery | 31 to 56 weeks | 16 to 41 weeks | 55% |
| Gynaecology | 15 to 52 weeks | 15 to 41 weeks | 57% |
| Neurology | 36 to 55 weeks | 19 to 45 weeks | 48% |
| Ophthalmology | 14 to 42 weeks | 12 to 36 weeks | 64% |
| Oral surgery | 22 to 51 weeks | 19 to 44 weeks | 47% |
| Other medical services | 11 to 46 weeks | 10 to 35 weeks | 73% |
| Other paediatric services | 21 to 40 weeks | 10 to 27 weeks | 73% |
| Other services | 18 to 44 weeks | 7 to 42 weeks | 73% |
| Other surgical services | 6 to 45 weeks | 9 to 37 weeks | 73% |
| Plastic surgery | 12 to 47 weeks | 12 to 39 weeks | 69% |
| Respiratory medicine | 10 to 33 weeks | 9 to 27 weeks | 82% |
| Rheumatology | 25 to 50 weeks | 14 to 42 weeks | 58% |
| Trauma and orthopaedics | 28 to 51 weeks | 17 to 41 weeks | 52% |
| Urology | 23 to 55 weeks | 14 to 41 weeks | 59% |
NHS England figures, . Checked for new figures . About the data.
Sites this trust runs: Colchester Hospital, Ipswich Hospital, Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust Hq, Felixstowe Hospital, The Fryatt Hospital and Mayflower Medical Centre. The figures below cover all of them.
Where to find them
- Colchester Hospital
Turner Road, Colchester, CO4 5JL Map - Ipswich Hospital
Heath Road, Ipswich, IP4 5PD Map - Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust Hq
Turner Road, Colchester, CO4 5JL Map - Felixstowe Hospital
Constable Road, Felixstowe, IP11 7HJ Map - The Fryatt Hospital and Mayflower Medical Centre
419 Main Road, Harwich, CO12 4EX Map
Addresses from the NHS Organisation Data Service.
Scan and test waits
People waiting for each test in August 2026, and the share who had waited over six weeks. The standard is under 1 in 100.
| Test | Waiting | Over six weeks | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultrasound scan | 6,133 | 9% | 22% |
| MRI scan | 3,986 | 32% | 22% |
| Echocardiogram | 1,798 | 11% | 30% |
| CT scan | 1,515 | 2% | 11% |
| Hearing test | 998 | 5% | 43% |
| Colonoscopy | 846 | 20% | 31% |
| Gastroscopy | 799 | 20% | 30% |
| Sleep study | 695 | 36% | 35% |
| Nerve conduction test | 567 | 31% | 45% |
| Cystoscopy | 510 | 18% | 27% |
| DEXA bone density scan | 264 | 0% | 21% |
| Flexible sigmoidoscopy | 260 | 26% | 33% |
| Barium enema | 105 | 0% | 26% |
| Urodynamics | 43 | 7% | 47% |
NHS England figures, . Checked for new figures . About the data.
Questions people ask
How long is the waiting list at Ipswich and Colchester?
At the end of August 2026, 95,324 people were on the waiting list across all specialties. Half had waited under 14 weeks and 9 in 10 under 39 weeks. 61% were within the 18-week standard. Each specialty in the table below has its own figure.
Can I check where I am on the waiting list?
Not from this site: these are NHS England's monthly figures for whole specialties, not individual patients. The NHS App shows your own referral, and the hospital's patient advice and liaison service (PALS) can tell you your position and whether your referral is marked urgent. See how your wait compares.
How do I get seen sooner than the Ipswich and Colchester wait time?
When your GP refers you, you can choose any hospital in England that holds an NHS contract, including independent hospitals the NHS pays for. If you have already waited over 18 weeks with no date in the next 8 weeks, you can ask to move. Compare every hospital near you first. Hospital waiting times near Colchester.