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Patients & Visitors

Outpatients

Wait times for first outpatient appointment

We are sorry that many outpatient appointments have long waiting times. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.

Please only contact your GP if your condition worsens during your waiting period. Unfortunately, non-urgent cases cannot be expedited.

Please be assured that we have not forgotten about you. We are working hard across all specialties to review waiting lists and to minimise delays, and we will keep in touch with you about your waiting time.

The outpatient waiting times listed below indicate the approximate waiting time for each speciality. This wait starts when the hospital receives the referral from the GP until the point of being seen in an outpatient clinic.

These statistics are updated at the beginning of each month and therefore sometimes the waiting times may fluctuate during the month. Some patients will be seen more quickly than the waiting times listed below, such as those on a two-week wait pathway (suspected cancer) and other urgent cases.

Surgery

Outpatients
(GP Referred)
Wait in weeks in excess of:

General Surgery

35

ENT (Adults)

52

ENT (Paediatric)

52

Ophthalmology - General

20

Ophthalmology surgical pathway - Cataracts

9

Ophthalmology - Glaucoma

18

Ophthalmology - Medical Retina

12

Ophthalmology - Corneal

25

Ophthalmology - Paediatric

28

Ophthalmology surgical pathway - Lids

7

Oral Surgery (Adults)

32

Oral Surgery (Paediatric)

36

Orthodontics

28

Trauma & Orthopaedics - Hands

5

Trauma & Orthopaedics - Knees

4

Trauma & Orthopaedics - Foot & Ankle

8

Trauma & Orthopaedics - Shoulder

9

Trauma & Orthopaedics - Spine

60

Trauma & Orthopaedics - Hips

7

Trauma & Orthopaedics - Paediatric

45

Urology

40

Urology (Paediatric)

25

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Medicine

Outpatients
(GP Referred)
Wait in weeks in excess of:

Cardiology

40

Dermatology (Adults)

45

Dermatology (Paediatric)

32

Diabetic Medicine

12

Endocrinology

33

Gastroenterology

58

Geriatric Medicine

23

Neurology

29

Respiratory

22

Rheumatology

30

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Family & Specialist Services

Outpatients
(GP Referred)
Wait in weeks in excess of:

Gynaecology

37

Paediatrics - General

11

Paediatrics - Allergy

12

Paediatrics - Cardiology

28

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This is a guide to the average waiting time for a non-specialised scan.

Outpatient and Radiology waiting times
Current general referral waiting times
(please note urgent & specialised scans waiting times will differ):
Urgent
Approximate
wait in weeks
Routine
Approximate
wait in weeks:
CT Scan

2

8-9

MRI Scan

4-5

17-18

General Ultrasound Scan

MSK Ultrasound

Neck/Thyroid Ultrasound

2-3

2-3

2-3

13-15

5-6

10-12

Plain film X-Ray
  • RUH
  • Community sites

 

2
2-3

 

4-6
4-6

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