Question 1

How do I find my local NHS waiting time by postcode?

Accepted Answer

NHS England publishes waiting time data per NHS trust, not per postcode. TreatCompare maps each English postcode area to the NHS trusts that most commonly serve patients living there. Pick your postcode area below and choose a procedure to see the current local wait time alongside private cost comparison.

Question 2

Why does NHS waiting time vary by postcode?

Accepted Answer

NHS wait times don't strictly vary by postcode — they vary by NHS trust. But because each postcode area is served by a specific dominant acute trust, your address effectively determines which waiting list you'll join. Some London trusts have shorter waits than rural trusts and vice versa. Under NHS Patient Choice rules you can also ask your GP to refer you to any trust in England with a shorter wait.

Question 3

Does TreatCompare cover all UK postcodes?

Accepted Answer

TreatCompare currently covers 82 English postcode areas — every area where we have wait time data for at least one major NHS acute trust serving the population. Coverage is England only. NHS Scotland (postcodes starting AB, EH, G, etc.), NHS Wales (CF, LL, NP, SA) and HSC Northern Ireland (BT) use separate reporting and are out of scope for this version.

Question 4

How accurate is postcode-level NHS waiting data?

Accepted Answer

NHS England publishes Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times monthly at the trust × specialty level. We aggregate these to the postcode-area level by listing the trusts that serve each area. The numbers are real per-trust observations from the latest published NHS England Provider Extract — but the underlying granularity is trust-level, not strictly per-postcode. Per-trust breakdowns are shown on every postcode area page for full transparency.

NHS Waiting Times by UK Postcode

Priority postcode procedure guides

North East England (5 areas)

North West England (12 areas)

Yorkshire & The Humber (10 areas)

East Midlands (4 areas)

West Midlands (8 areas)

East of England (12 areas)

London (19 areas)

South East England (7 areas)

South West England (5 areas)