NHS CT scan waiting times

CT scan waits by hospital, shortest first

Median wait and the percentage of patients seen within 6 weeks — the NHS operational standard for diagnostics. Hospitals with very few patients waiting are excluded so a median is meaningful.

Can I choose where I have my CT?

Where these numbers come from

Frequently asked questions

How long is the NHS wait for an CT scan?

There is no single national wait — it depends on which hospital you are sent to. CT waits vary between hospitals, sometimes several-fold, so the useful thing is to compare your own area. The table above ranks the NHS trusts and independent providers reporting CT to NHS England, shortest median wait first, from NHS England's DM01 diagnostic figures.

Can I choose which hospital does my CT scan?

For a planned, non-urgent test, you can ask. If your GP refers you to a consultant-led service, you have a legal right, with exceptions, to choose the provider, including one with a shorter wait — the NHS Right to Choose. For a test your GP orders directly, ask your GP whether you can have it at a different hospital. 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 CT scan?

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.

Is the CT scan wait different if it is urgent or to check for cancer?

CT requested to investigate a suspected cancer should go via the NHS two-week-wait pathway rather than a routine diagnostic list — check which route you are on.

Compare other NHS scans and tests

• NHS MRI 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
• NHS DEXA scan waiting times

All NHS diagnostic waiting times

See also our guide to NHS respiratory (lung) waiting times.