Carpal tunnel surgery waiting times in England
Carpal tunnel release is a small operation, usually done under local anaesthetic, that may be listed under trauma and orthopaedics or plastic surgery depending on the hospital. The figures here use trauma and orthopaedics, where most hand surgery sits; where a hospital runs hand surgery through plastics, check that specialty too.
Shortest waits for trauma and orthopaedics, August 2026
- Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust 7 weeks most people See this hospital
- Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 8 weeks most people See this hospital
- Clementine Churchill Hospital 13 weeks most people Free on the NHS See this hospital
- Princess Margaret Hospital 13 weeks most people Free on the NHS See this hospital
- Provide Enterprises 14 weeks most people Free on the NHS See this hospital
- Bishops Wood Hospital 15 weeks most people Free on the NHS See this hospital
- Epsomedical Group 15 weeks most people Free on the NHS See this hospital
- Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust 15 weeks most people See this hospital
Every hospital in England, or pick your area: Enfield Manchester Birmingham Leeds Newcastle upon Tyne Sheffield Liverpool
NHS England figures, , checked . About the data.
What the wait includes
The pathway is short: a nerve conduction test if needed, an outpatient appointment, then a minor-operations list. Because the procedure is quick, waits are more about clinic and list capacity than theatre time, and they vary a lot between hospitals.
How to be treated sooner
Because the operation is minor and common, independent providers and community hand clinics often have short waits. It is a good candidate for using your right to choose, and for asking whether a nearby hospital's minor-operations list is quicker.
Questions people ask
How long is the NHS waiting list for carpal tunnel surgery?
Waits are published for trauma and orthopaedics as a whole, not carpal tunnel surgery alone. In August 2026, at a typical hospital most people on the waiting list had waited less than 36 weeks; the shortest was Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, 7 weeks.
Can a private hospital do my carpal tunnel surgery on the NHS?
Often, yes. Independent hospitals with an NHS contract for trauma and orthopaedics treat NHS patients free, and are marked "Free on the NHS" in the rankings for your area.