Hip replacement · England
What does pre-op assessment mean for my hip replacement waiting time?
A pre-operative assessment is a step towards surgery, but in itself it does not tell you when your hip replacement will happen. Hospitals in England schedule pre-op at different points: some close to the operation date, others much earlier. The useful thing is to confirm what it means at your hospital.
Where pre-op fits
Pre-op is usually arranged after you are listed for surgery. Some hospitals do it a few weeks before a planned date, others well in advance, and some repeat it if a long time passes before surgery.
There is no national rule linking pre-op to a particular operation date, so we cannot give you a typical interval.
Administrative details to confirm
- Does completing pre-op mean I am ready to be booked?
- Is anything outstanding before a date can be offered?
- How long does a pre-op result stay valid at this hospital?
- Who will contact me with a date?
Clinical questions
Questions about the assessment itself, your health or your fitness for surgery should go to the pre-op or clinical team. This guide only covers administrative steps.
What pre-op does and does not change about your wait
Under NHS England's referral-to-treatment (RTT) rules, the waiting-time clock that started with your referral normally keeps running through pre-op and stops when your first treatment starts. Pre-op is a preparation step, not treatment, so it does not end your wait or reset it.
If the assessment identifies something that needs to be addressed before surgery, the hospital decides how that affects booking. How that period is recorded depends on the circumstances and the RTT rules, so ask the hospital to explain your waiting-list status if it changes, rather than assuming.
Pre-op can look different at different hospitals
Some hospitals start with a health questionnaire, followed by a phone or video call; others arrange a face-to-face appointment with tests. It may happen in more than one stage. For administrative purposes the key point is knowing which parts you have completed and whether anything is still outstanding.
If a long time passes after pre-op
Hospitals set their own rules on how long pre-op findings stay current. If your wait continues for many months, you may be asked to repeat some or all of it. That is an administrative check at your hospital, not a sign that you have lost your place, but it is worth confirming.
If you have completed pre-op and still have no date, the guide on having had pre-op with no date covers what to ask and the alternative-provider route.
What this means for you
- Ask what pre-op means for booking at your hospital, and whether anything is outstanding.
- Ask how long your pre-op stays current and what happens if it lapses.
- Note who will contact you with a date and roughly when they expect to be in touch.
- Keep your referral date to hand — your RTT clock runs from that date, not from pre-op.
This guide gives administrative information for patients in England. It is not medical advice and cannot predict your operation date.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers first. Tap a question to read more.
Does pre-op stop my waiting-time clock?
No. The referral-to-treatment clock normally stops when treatment starts, not at pre-op.
If pre-op finds I'm not ready for surgery yet, am I taken off the list?
Not necessarily. What happens depends on the reason and your hospital's processes. Ask the hospital to explain your waiting-list status in writing; questions about your health belong with the clinical team.
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Sources & references3
Reviewed against publicly available NHS England RTT guidance and the NHS Constitution.
Editorial transparency
How this guide was put together
- Reviewed against the latest publicly available NHS England RTT statistics and guidance.
- Written and edited by the NHSWaitHelper editorial team.
- Cross-checked against the NHS Constitution and operational guidance.
- Independent — no paid hospital rankings, no hidden sponsorship.
NHSWaitHelper is an independent information platform and is not affiliated with the NHS. We do not provide medical or legal advice. Always speak to your GP, clinician, or a regulated adviser about your individual circumstances.