Hip replacement · England
I’ve waited 6 months for an NHS hip replacement. What can I do?
Six months is past the 18-week maximum waiting time, so you can usually ask the NHS about alternatives. But your official waiting time may not match six months on the calendar, so the first step is to confirm what the hospital has recorded.
Why your recorded wait may be different
You might be counting from your first GP visit, your referral, your consultant appointment or the day you were listed. The NHS counts from when your referral was received, and some events can stop or restart the clock.
Published figures for your hospital won't settle it either. Published NHS waiting figures are reported for the whole Trauma and Orthopaedics specialty, which covers many conditions and operations. They are not a hip-replacement-specific wait and cannot predict your own operation date.
Practical steps at six months
- Ask the waiting-list team for your clock start date and current status.
- Ask whether anything is outstanding, such as a pre-op assessment.
- Ask for any indication of timing, and how you will be updated.
- If you are likely to keep waiting, ask about suitable alternative providers.
Asking about alternatives
If you are likely to wait longer than the maximum waiting time that applies to you (generally 18 weeks from referral for non-urgent consultant-led treatment), you can ask the hospital or your local integrated care board (ICB) to look into suitable alternative providers that could see or treat you sooner. Exceptions apply — for example if you choose to wait longer or delaying is clinically appropriate — and it is not an automatic transfer.
What this means for you
- Get your recorded wait confirmed in writing if possible.
- Compare it with the 18-week maximum.
- Ask about alternatives if the wait is likely to continue.
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.
My hospital's figures look shorter than my wait. Why?
Hospital figures are specialty-wide averages or percentiles for everyone waiting. Individual waits vary widely around them.
See where you stand in 60 seconds
Use our free 18-week calculator to check whether your wait may have passed the NHS Referral to Treatment standard.
Sources & references4
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.