Waiting times by specialty
Respiratory medicine waiting times in England
At the end of June 2026, 189,478 people were on the England respiratory medicine waiting list and about 7 in 10 people (75%) had been waiting less than 18 weeks.
NHS England reports this service as Respiratory Medicine Service. Medical care of the lungs and breathing. It commonly includes asthma and COPD clinics, breathlessness assessment, sleep clinics in some trusts.
- People waiting
- 189,478
- End of June 2026
- Under 18 weeks
- 74.8%
- Share of this published list
- Over 52 weeks
- 687
- Share of all NHS waits
- 2.6%
- of 7,178,718 total
687 people (0.4%, roughly 1 in 250) had been waiting more than 52 weeks.
How this has changed
Between July 2025 and June 2026 the share of people on the England respiratory medicine list waiting under 18 weeks improved by 9.1 percentage points (66% to 75%).
Share waiting under 18 weeks: broadly unchanged over 3 months (75.0% in March 2026); up 7.1 points over 6 months (67.7% in December 2025).
Share seen within 18 weeks, month by month
Improving · +9.1 pointsPercentage of people seen within 18 weeks, over the last 12 published months.
View these figures as a table
| Month | Within 18 weeks |
|---|---|
| July 2025 | 65.7% |
| August 2025 | 65.6% |
| September 2025 | 66.5% |
| October 2025 | 66.7% |
| November 2025 | 67% |
| December 2025 | 67.7% |
| January 2026 | 69.3% |
| February 2026 | 71.7% |
| March 2026 | 75% |
| April 2026 | 74.7% |
| May 2026 | 74.9% |
| June 2026 | 74.8% |
Month-to-month movements of less than two percentage points are treated as normal variation rather than a real change in direction.
Month-by-month figures
| Month | Waiting | Under 18 weeks | Over 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2025 | 200,527 | 65.7% | 2,524 |
| August 2025 | 197,085 | 65.6% | 2,639 |
| September 2025 | 192,497 | 66.5% | 2,229 |
| October 2025 | 189,090 | 66.7% | 2,092 |
| November 2025 | 184,964 | 67.0% | 1,754 |
| December 2025 | 184,992 | 67.7% | 1,419 |
| January 2026 | 185,422 | 69.3% | 1,361 |
| February 2026 | 185,125 | 71.7% | 1,082 |
| March 2026 | 183,922 | 75.0% | 665 |
| April 2026 | 188,387 | 74.7% | 663 |
| May 2026 | 191,385 | 74.9% | 750 |
| June 2026 | 189,478 | 74.8% | 687 |
How much hospitals differ
Across the 117 NHS trusts with data, the share waiting under 18 weeks ranges from 47% (South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust) to 99% (Croydon Health Services NHS Trust) — a 52-point gap. These published figures do not predict when an individual patient will receive an appointment or treatment.
- 80% or more under 18 weeks53 trusts
- 65% to 79%47 trusts
- 50% to 64%15 trusts
- Under 50%2 trusts
A further 1 NHS-funded independent-sector and other providers reported 788 people waiting for this service. Their case mix can differ from an NHS trust's, so they are counted here but not ranked alongside trusts.
NHS trusts by published position
Trusts with at least 200 people on this list, most recent month, sorted by share waiting under 18 weeks. Small differences are not meaningful.
| Trust | Region | Waiting | Under 18 weeks | Over 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croydon Health Services NHS Trust | London | 1,014 | 99% | 1 |
| North Bristol NHS Trust | South West | 611 | 98% | 0 |
| Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | London | 377 | 98% | 0 |
| Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 647 | 97% | 0 |
| East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust | North West | 690 | 97% | 0 |
| Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust | South East | 588 | 96% | 0 |
| Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust | West Midlands | 672 | 96% | 0 |
| Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 2,938 | 96% | 0 |
| Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | Yorkshire and The Humber | 326 | 95% | 0 |
| University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 490 | 95% | 0 |
| Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | North East | 2,820 | 95% | 0 |
| Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust | London | 2,435 | 95% | 1 |
| Stockport NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 526 | 94% | 0 |
| East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust | East of England | 949 | 94% | 0 |
| The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North East | 830 | 94% | 0 |
| Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | Yorkshire and The Humber | 764 | 94% | 0 |
| Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 3,046 | 93% | 0 |
| Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 594 | 93% | 0 |
| The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust | Yorkshire and The Humber | 885 | 93% | 0 |
| Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 1,208 | 92% | 0 |
| Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust | Yorkshire and The Humber | 330 | 92% | 0 |
| Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 1,701 | 92% | 1 |
| Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust | East Midlands | 1,582 | 91% | 0 |
| Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 1,444 | 91% | 0 |
| Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | East Midlands | 1,570 | 91% | 0 |
| Whittington Health NHS Trust | London | 701 | 90% | 0 |
| Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 1,213 | 90% | 0 |
| Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 546 | 90% | 0 |
| The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust | West Midlands | 1,785 | 89% | 0 |
| Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 1,033 | 89% | 0 |
| South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North East | 1,012 | 89% | 0 |
| University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | London | 843 | 89% | 0 |
| Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 651 | 88% | 0 |
| The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust | West Midlands | 1,021 | 88% | 0 |
| Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust | North East | 354 | 88% | 0 |
| Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 1,443 | 87% | 0 |
| Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust | West Midlands | 1,864 | 87% | 0 |
| Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | London | 1,509 | 86% | 0 |
| Somerset NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 1,532 | 86% | 1 |
| University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 886 | 85% | 1 |
| West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | East of England | 1,684 | 85% | 0 |
| Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 383 | 85% | 0 |
| Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 1,131 | 85% | 2 |
| Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 239 | 85% | 1 |
| Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust | London | 2,367 | 84% | 0 |
| Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 1,229 | 84% | 0 |
| Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | North West | 1,300 | 84% | 0 |
| University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust | East Midlands | 2,358 | 82% | 0 |
| Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust | South East | 1,278 | 81% | 0 |
| Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | London | 2,309 | 80% | 0 |
| Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust | South East | 879 | 80% | 0 |
| Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 306 | 80% | 0 |
| East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 1,528 | 80% | 0 |
| Isle of Wight NHS Trust | South East | 284 | 80% | 0 |
| Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | South West | 619 | 80% | 0 |
| Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust | Yorkshire and The Humber | 1,000 | 79% | 0 |
| University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust | East Midlands | 1,628 | 79% | 2 |
| Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | East Midlands | 779 | 78% | 0 |
| North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 1,274 | 78% | 1 |
| Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust | East Midlands | 2,144 | 78% | 8 |
| Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust | West Midlands | 1,302 | 78% | 0 |
| Bolton NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 896 | 77% | 12 |
| South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust | North East | 2,735 | 77% | 0 |
| The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust | East of England | 862 | 77% | 0 |
| University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 1,806 | 76% | 10 |
| George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust | West Midlands | 600 | 75% | 0 |
| Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust | Yorkshire and The Humber | 1,373 | 75% | 0 |
| King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | London | 3,219 | 75% | 6 |
| Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | East Midlands | 509 | 75% | 1 |
| Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 1,731 | 75% | 11 |
| Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust | London | 5,660 | 75% | 9 |
| Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust | London | 760 | 74% | 0 |
| West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 638 | 74% | 0 |
| Bristol NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 1,369 | 74% | 0 |
| Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | South East | 1,114 | 74% | 0 |
| The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | London | 929 | 73% | 0 |
| James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 1,071 | 73% | 0 |
| Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust | Yorkshire and The Humber | 1,250 | 72% | 23 |
| East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | South East | 2,380 | 72% | 22 |
| United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | East Midlands | 1,617 | 72% | 84 |
| North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 1,092 | 72% | 0 |
| University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust | West Midlands | 2,605 | 72% | 1 |
| Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 2,030 | 72% | 7 |
| University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust | West Midlands | 5,134 | 72% | 0 |
| Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust | South East | 1,133 | 71% | 0 |
| Barts Health NHS Trust | London | 4,931 | 71% | 8 |
| Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | Yorkshire and The Humber | 2,858 | 69% | 3 |
| Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust | London | 1,317 | 69% | 33 |
| Wye Valley NHS Trust | West Midlands | 1,942 | 69% | 107 |
| Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 972 | 69% | 9 |
| Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 1,287 | 69% | 2 |
| The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust | West Midlands | 1,709 | 68% | 0 |
| North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust | North East | 728 | 68% | 8 |
| Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 1,952 | 68% | 0 |
| Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 1,482 | 68% | 4 |
| Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Yorkshire and The Humber | 852 | 68% | 1 |
| Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 3,493 | 68% | 0 |
| University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust | South West | 1,867 | 67% | 11 |
| University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | West Midlands | 2,941 | 67% | 1 |
| University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 1,555 | 66% | 0 |
| County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust | North East | 1,534 | 64% | 1 |
| St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | London | 3,253 | 63% | 8 |
| North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 688 | 63% | 0 |
| Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 4,204 | 62% | 22 |
| Airedale NHS Foundation Trust | Yorkshire and The Humber | 646 | 62% | 0 |
| Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust | London | 10,097 | 62% | 23 |
| London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust | London | 3,454 | 62% | 0 |
| Medway NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 911 | 60% | 0 |
| Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 1,120 | 59% | 22 |
| Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 861 | 59% | 4 |
| Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 3,904 | 57% | 6 |
| The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 908 | 56% | 0 |
| Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Yorkshire and The Humber | 2,411 | 55% | 2 |
| East Cheshire NHS Trust | North West | 1,137 | 51% | 79 |
| East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 4,916 | 50% | 55 |
| York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Yorkshire and The Humber | 3,056 | 49% | 42 |
| South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust | West Midlands | 1,122 | 47% | 29 |
What this measure includes
- These figures cover consultant-led referral-to-treatment pathways where the patient was still waiting to start treatment at the end of the reporting month.
- People can be at different stages of an incomplete referral-to-treatment pathway. The figures do not show the stage of an individual patient's pathway.
- These published aggregate figures do not show the clinical priority of an individual referral.
Checking your own position
Published figures describe a whole list for one month. To work out how long you have been waiting, use the wait check. The team named on your appointment letter is the only source for your actual place on a list.
How to read a specialty figure
These are end-of-month counts of people on an incomplete consultant-led referral-to-treatment pathway. One specialty list holds referrals of different clinical priority and people at different stages, and the published figures do not separate them, so this is context rather than a forecast for any individual.
What these figures cannot tell you
- Where you are in a queue, or when you will be seen or treated.
- How urgent your own referral is. These are aggregate waiting-list figures and do not show the clinical priority of an individual patient.
- Anything about a specific consultant, clinic or site within a trust.
- What will happen next month: these are end-of-month snapshots of a past period.
Related guides on this site
- Work out how long you've waited
Explains how the 18-week measure is counted and what a published percentage represents.
- Your rights while you wait
Reference article on what the 18-week standard is and is not.
- What happens if the NHS misses the 18-week target
Background on what happens when the 18-week standard is not met.
- NHS patient choice explained
Background on the legal basis of NHS patient choice.
- How consultant triage works
Explains how clinical triage affects the spread of waits on one list.