NHSGuide

Data Sources & Methodology

Data Sources

NHS England — Referral to Treatment (RTT)

Monthly waiting times data for all NHS acute trusts in England, broken down by treatment function (specialty). Includes median wait, percentile distributions, and 18-week performance.

Source: england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/

NHS England — A&E Statistics

Weekly A&E performance data including 4-hour target performance, total attendances, 12-hour breaches, and ambulance handover delays.

Source: england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

Quality ratings for NHS trusts across five domains: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led. Overall ratings: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate.

Source: cqc.org.uk

NHS Organisation Data Service (ODS)

Organisational reference data including trust names, codes, addresses, and hospital site information.

Source: directory.spineservices.nhs.uk

Wait Score Methodology

Our Wait Score is a simple, transparent grading system based on the percentage of patients seen within the NHS 18-week target:

ScoreWithin 18 WeeksMeaning
A+90%+Excellent
A85-89%Very good
B80-84%Good
C75-79%Below average
D65-74%Poor
FBelow 65%Very poor

Update Schedule

Data is updated monthly when NHS England publishes new RTT statistics (typically 6 weeks after the reporting period). A&E data is updated weekly. CQC ratings are updated when new inspections are published.

Last updated: 2026-03-14 · Data month: January 2026

Disclaimer

This website is independently operated and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NHS, NHS England, or the Care Quality Commission. Data is sourced from publicly available NHS datasets and may not reflect real-time waiting times.

Private treatment costs shown are estimates gathered from public provider websites. Always verify costs directly with the provider before making any decisions. This website does not provide medical advice.