Hip replacement · England
Waiting for an NHS hip replacement
These guides help people in England who have been referred for, or are waiting for, an NHS hip replacement understand their position and the administrative steps open to them. They do not give medical advice or predict operation dates. Published NHS waiting figures are for the whole Trauma and Orthopaedics specialty, not hip replacement alone.
Understanding your wait
- How long is the NHS waiting list for a hip replacement?
What published NHS waiting figures can and cannot tell you about a hip replacement wait in England, and where to find your own position.
- Where am I on the NHS hip replacement pathway?
A plain guide to the usual administrative stages of an NHS hip replacement pathway in England, from referral to surgery, and how to confirm your stage.
- I’ve been told I need a hip replacement. What happens next on the NHS?
After a consultant decides a hip replacement is right for you, here are the administrative steps that usually follow in England and what to confirm.
- What does the 18-week NHS rule mean if I’m waiting for a hip replacement?
How the NHS 18-week referral-to-treatment standard applies to hip replacement in England: when the clock starts, exceptions, and what it does not guarantee.
Waiting without a date or update
- I’m on the NHS hip replacement waiting list but have no operation date
Waiting for an NHS hip replacement in England with no operation date yet? What it usually means, what to ask and when other providers may be worth asking about.
- I haven’t had an update about my NHS hip replacement
Not heard anything about your NHS hip replacement? What NHS England's 2026 minimum standards say about updates, and how to ask for one in England.
- What does pre-op assessment mean for my hip replacement waiting time?
Had or been booked for a pre-operative assessment for an NHS hip replacement? What it can and can't tell you about timing, and what to confirm.
- I’ve had my pre-op but still have no hip replacement date
Completed your pre-op assessment for an NHS hip replacement but still no date? Why it happens and exactly what to ask the booking team.
Long waits
- I’ve waited more than 18 weeks for a hip replacement. What can I do?
Past 18 weeks from referral waiting for an NHS hip replacement in England? How to ask the hospital or ICB to look into alternatives, and the exceptions.
- I’ve waited 6 months for an NHS hip replacement. What can I do?
Six months into an NHS hip replacement wait in England? Why your official wait may differ from the calendar, and the practical steps you can take.
- I’ve waited a year for an NHS hip replacement. What happens now?
Waiting over 52 weeks for an NHS hip replacement in England: confirming your pathway, escalating, and checking whether other providers may be worth asking about.
Cancellations
- My NHS hip replacement has been cancelled. What are my options?
What NHS guidance in England says when a hip replacement is cancelled — the difference between last-minute non-clinical cancellations and earlier ones.
- My hip replacement was cancelled and I haven’t been given a new date
Your NHS hip replacement was cancelled and no new date has followed. Step-by-step administrative actions and wording you can copy, for patients in England.
Other providers
- Can I get my NHS hip replacement sooner at another hospital?
How to check whether another NHS-funded provider in England may be worth asking about if you are waiting for a hip replacement, and what the evidence can't tell you.
- Can I change hospital while waiting for an NHS hip replacement?
How changing hospital works if you are already waiting for an NHS hip replacement in England, and how it differs from choosing at first referral.
- Does switching hospital reset my NHS hip replacement wait?
Whether moving to another provider affects your NHS waiting time for a hip replacement depends on how the move happens. What to confirm before you agree.
- How do I ask the NHS to check another hospital for my hip replacement?
Wording you can use to ask your hospital or ICB in England to look into suitable alternative providers for an NHS hip replacement when you are already waiting.
- Can I get my NHS hip replacement at a private hospital?
Some independent hospitals in England carry out hip replacements funded by the NHS. How that works, and what the NHS must confirm first. Not about paying privately.
- Are NHS-funded independent hospitals an option for hip replacement?
How NHS-funded independent hospitals fit into hip replacement care in England, how this differs from self-pay, and why published evidence is not acceptance.
- How to compare hospitals when you’re waiting for an NHS hip replacement
A method for weighing up hospitals while waiting for an NHS hip replacement in England — waiting context, distance, activity evidence — and why no single score works.
Broader guides: Patient Choice explained · 18-week calculator · Your rights