NHS Barium enema waiting times
A barium enema is an X-ray test of the large bowel using a contrast liquid. It is now used less often, as colonoscopy and CT colonography have largely replaced it. Where still used, it investigates bowel symptoms when a camera test is not suitable. There is no single national wait: it depends heavily on which hospital you are sent to, and the spread between trusts is large. Below, every English NHS trust that reports Barium enema is ranked by its median wait, shortest first.
Compiled by Dr Mustafa Ghafouri (MBChB, MSc) · NHS England DM01 data, March 2026
Typical trust wait
about 1 week
median across 48 trusts
Fastest trust
under 1 week
shortest published median
Hospitals compared
48
English NHS trusts reporting Barium enema
Barium enema waits by hospital, shortest first
Median wait and the percentage of patients seen within 6 weeks — the NHS operational standard for diagnostics. Trusts with very few patients are excluded so a median is meaningful.
Can I choose where I have my Barium enema?
For a planned, non-urgent diagnostic test you often can. In England you have a legal right, when your GP refers you, to ask to be seen at a different hospital — including one with a shorter wait. Most people are never told this and go to their nearest by default.
Where these numbers come from
Waits are from NHS England's monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity (DM01) statistics, for March 2026. Each figure is the trust's median wait for that test; “within 6 weeks” is the NHS operational standard. Nothing here is medical advice — the site surfaces the published data so you and your GP can use it.
Frequently asked questions
- How long is the NHS wait for Barium enema?
- There is no single national wait — it depends on which hospital you are sent to. Barium enema waits vary between NHS trusts, sometimes several-fold, so the useful thing is to compare your own area. The table above ranks every English NHS trust that reports Barium enema, shortest median wait first, from NHS England's DM01 diagnostic figures.
- Can I choose which hospital does my Barium enema?
- For a planned, non-urgent test, often yes. In England you have a legal right, when your GP refers you, to ask to be seen at a hospital with a shorter wait — the NHS Right to Choose. Most people are never told this and go to their nearest by default. It does not apply to urgent or emergency tests.
- What does "seen within 6 weeks" mean for Barium enema?
- Six weeks is the NHS operational standard for diagnostic tests — patients should wait no longer than that. The "within 6 weeks" figure for each hospital is the share of its patients who met that standard; the median is the typical wait. Both come from NHS England's monthly DM01 statistics.
Compare other NHS scans and tests
- NHS MRI scan waiting times
- NHS CT scan waiting times
- NHS Ultrasound scan waiting times
- NHS Colonoscopy waiting times
- NHS Gastroscopy waiting times
- NHS Flexible sigmoidoscopy waiting times
- NHS Cystoscopy waiting times
- NHS Echocardiogram waiting times
All NHS diagnostic waiting times
See also our guide to NHS gastroenterology waiting times.