Emergency waiting times
It is difficult to predict waiting times in our urgent and emergency care department, however we will always give you an approximate length of time or let you know how many patients are ahead of you.
Priority is given to patients who need immediate attention so please do not be alarmed if your waiting time changes throughout the course of your visit.
You should only use our urgent and emergency care department in the case of an emergency. If you’re unsure please visit our emergency page or call NHS 111 to ask for advice.
We recommend using NHS 111 to book an appointment in our urgent and emergency care department. You will not necessarily be seen quicker, however you will be given a time for arrival in order to reduce the amount of time spent in hospital.
Arriving in an ambulance does not mean that you will be seen quicker as you will be assessed upon arrival.
18 week waiting times
Once you are referred to us, we aim to begin your treatment within 18 weeks in line with the national waiting time standard.
Your waiting time for your right to start treatment begins when we receive your referral letter or when you book your first appointment.
Your right to an 18 week waiting time does not apply if:
- You choose to wait longer
- You fail to attend appointments that you chose from a set of reasonable options
- It is in your best clinical interest to delay treatment – for example, if quitting smoking or losing weight is likely to improve the outcome of your treatment
- It is clinically appropriate for your condition to be actively monitored in secondary care
- The treatment is no longer necessary
If you think your wait has been longer than 18 weeks, please contact our patient experience team. The team will listen to your concerns, review your treatment, investigate if necessary and advise on any action you can take.
Cancer waiting times
Patients with urgent conditions such as suspected cancer have the right to be seen by a specialist within two weeks from your GP referral.
Please be aware that investigations of symptoms where cancer is not initially suspected are not included in this time frame. For example, in investigations of breast symptoms where there may be another likely cause for your symptoms.
You have the legal right to ask to be seen or treated by a different care provider if our cancer waiting times are longer than two weeks. We will investigate and offer you a range of suitable alternative hospitals or clinics that can see you sooner.
If you’re not happy with our response, please get in touch with our patient experience team.
