NHS waiting times for scans and tests
NHS England publishes monthly waits for 15 key diagnostic tests at every hospital. The standard is that fewer than 1% of patients should wait 6 weeks or more. Choose a test to compare hospitals (July 2026).
People waiting for a test
1,921,259
Waiting 6+ weeks
23.1%
Standard: under 1%
Tests covered
15
| Test | Waiting | Median | 6+ weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultrasound (non-obstetric) | 669,426 | 2.9 weeks | 19.5% |
| MRI scan | 393,729 | 3.0 weeks | 21.4% |
| CT scan | 197,095 | 1.8 weeks | 9.9% |
| Echocardiogram | 160,977 | 3.6 weeks | 28.4% |
| Audiology assessment | 124,843 | 4.7 weeks | 41.5% |
| Colonoscopy | 79,780 | 3.3 weeks | 30.8% |
| Gastroscopy | 76,455 | 3.2 weeks | 29.0% |
| DEXA scan | 70,075 | 3.1 weeks | 19.4% |
| Sleep study | 42,802 | 4.0 weeks | 33.3% |
| Peripheral neurophysiology | 41,243 | 5.0 weeks | 43.7% |
| Cystoscopy | 25,204 | 3.0 weeks | 24.5% |
| Flexible sigmoidoscopy | 24,153 | 3.7 weeks | 32.0% |
| Urodynamics | 10,142 | 4.9 weeks | 42.8% |
| Barium enema | 4,986 | 2.8 weeks | 25.2% |
| Electrophysiology | 349 | 1.8 weeks | 14.3% |
Sources: NHS England statistics on referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times (July 2026), A&E attendances (August 2026), diagnostic waiting times (DM01) and cancer waiting times, published 10 September 2026; hospital sites from the nhs.uk organisation data. Figures are checked against the official national totals before every update.
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