Barium enema waiting times in England

Barium enema waiting times at every NHS and independent provider in England. A barium enema is an older X-ray test of the bowel, now rare because colonoscopy and CT have replaced it at most hospitals.

26% of the 4,784 people waiting in England in August 2026 had waited over six weeks. 4,665 tests were done in the month. 48 providers with figures, smallest share over six weeks first.


East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust Colchester, East of England	0%	105	105
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Oxford, South East	0%	99	104
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Middlesbrough, North East	0%	60	48
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust Bristol, City of, South West	0%	55	66
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust Blackburn with Darwen, North West	0%	50	66
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Liverpool, North West	0%	46	40
Medway NHS Foundation Trust Medway, South East	0%	46	51
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Watford, East of England	0%	43	46
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Basingstoke and Deane, South East	0%	41	81
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust Dartford, South East	0%	38	173
Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Hackney, London	0%	37	61
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Wigan, North West	0%	37	45
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust Lambeth, London	0%	35	78
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust Bolton, North West	0%	31	51
North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust Warrington, North West	0%	31	25
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Preston, North West	0%	23	93
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Cheshire West and Chester, North West	0%	22	73
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Blackpool, North West	0%	20	55
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust Portsmouth, South East	1%	152	736
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust Maidstone, South East	1%	95	112
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Cambridge, East of England	1%	70	52
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Exeter, South West	2%	59	67
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Wirral, North West	2%	53	18
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Kingston upon Hull, City of, Yorkshire and The Humber	2%	52	51
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust Camden, London	2%	150	186
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust Gateshead, North East	2%	50	20
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust Westmorland and Furness, North West	2%	45	79
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust York, Yorkshire and The Humber	3%	111	102
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust Somerset, South West	3%	70	118
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust Surrey Heath, South East	4%	57	87
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust Westminster, London	4%	189	142
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust	4%	27	53
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Manchester, North West	4%	228	179
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust Hartlepool, North East	5%	20	21
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust North East Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and The Humber	5%	76	93
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Kensington and Chelsea, London	5%	91	82
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Knowsley, North West	7%	122	126
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Cheshire East, North West	16%	49	42
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Cheltenham, South West	17%	139	110
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Lewisham, London	20%	113	44
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South Norfolk, East of England	23%	91	115
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Hillingdon, London	27%	26	27
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Southampton, South East	33%	115	78
Barts Health NHS Trust Tower Hamlets, London	34%	192	209
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Camden, London	47%	190	87
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Lambeth, London	50%	286	91
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust Brent, London	63%	274	59
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust Canterbury, South East	83%	698	47

Providers with fewer than 20 people waiting are not listed.

NHS England figures, August 2026. Checked for new figures 14 October 2026. About the data.

Questions people ask

How long is the wait for an NHS barium enema?

It depends where you are referred. In August 2026, 26% of the 4,784 people waiting for a barium enema in England had waited over six weeks. EAST SUFFOLK AND NORTH ESSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUST had the smallest share over six weeks among providers with 20 or more people waiting. The six-week figure is what NHS England publishes; it does not publish an average wait for tests.

Can I have my barium enema somewhere quicker?

Often, yes. You can ask the person referring you to send the request to a different hospital, or to an independent provider that does the test for the NHS. The table above shows who has the shortest waits. For urgent cases, including suspected cancer, the test is prioritised and these routine figures do not apply.

What does "over six weeks" mean?

NHS England's standard is that fewer than 1 in 100 people should wait more than six weeks from the request to the test. The share over six weeks is the simplest measure of how far a hospital is from that standard. 19 of the 48 providers listed meet it this month.

Other tests: ultrasound scan waiting times, mri scan waiting times, ct scan waiting times, echocardiogram waiting times, hearing test waiting times, colonoscopy waiting times. All scans and tests.