How long is the NHS wait for Cystoscopy?

There is no single national wait — it depends on which hospital you are sent to. Cystoscopy 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 Cystoscopy, shortest median wait first, from NHS England's DM01 diagnostic figures.

Can I choose which hospital does my Cystoscopy?

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 Cystoscopy?

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.

Diagnostics

NHS Cystoscopy waiting times

A cystoscopy uses a thin camera passed through the urethra to look inside the bladder. It can be done under local or general anaesthetic. It is used to investigate blood in the urine, recurrent urine infections, and ongoing bladder symptoms. 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 Cystoscopy is ranked by its median wait, shortest first.

Compiled by Dr Mustafa Ghafouri (MBChB, MSc) · NHS England DM01 data, March 2026

Typical trust wait

3 weeks

median across 145 trusts

Fastest trust

under 1 week

shortest published median

Hospitals compared

145

English NHS trusts reporting Cystoscopy

If this is urgent: Cystoscopy to investigate visible blood in the urine is usually arranged on an urgent (two-week-wait) basis rather than the routine list shown here.

Cystoscopy 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.

#	Hospital trust	Median wait	Within 6 weeks
1	CHESTERFIELD ROYAL HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCHESTERFIELD	under 1 week	100%
2	NUFFIELD HEALTH, BRENTWOOD HOSPITALBRENTWOOD	under 1 week	100%
3	CHELSFIELD PARK HOSPITALORPINGTON	under 1 week	100%
4	EAST KENT HOSPITALS UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCANTERBURY	about 1 week	100%
5	PRACTICE PLUS GROUP HOSPITAL - SOUTHAMPTONSOUTHAMPTON	about 1 week	100%
6	TAMESIDE AND GLOSSOP INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTASHTON-UNDER-LYNE	about 1 week	100%
7	ROYAL BERKSHIRE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTREADING	about 1 week	100%
8	NORTH BRISTOL NHS TRUSTBRISTOL	about 1 week	100%
9	DONCASTER AND BASSETLAW TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTDONCASTER	about 1 week	100%
10	NORTHERN CARE ALLIANCE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSALFORD	about 1 week	100%
11	EAST AND NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE TEACHING NHS TRUSTSTEVENAGE	about 1 week	99%
12	EAST SUFFOLK AND NORTH ESSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCOLCHESTER	about 1 week	98%
13	ROYAL UNITED HOSPITALS BATH NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBATH	about 1 week	98%
14	SOUTH WARWICKSHIRE UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWARWICK	about 1 week	97%
15	HOMERTON HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	about 1 week	97%
16	ISLE OF WIGHT NHS TRUSTNEWPORT	about 1 week	94%
17	FRIMLEY HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCAMBERLEY	about 1 week	93%
18	MAIDSTONE AND TUNBRIDGE WELLS NHS TRUSTMAIDSTONE	about 1 week	93%
19	LONDON NORTH WEST UNIVERSITY HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTHARROW	about 1 week	89%
20	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF NORTH MIDLANDS NHS TRUSTSTOKE-ON-TRENT	about 1 week	89%
21	CHELSEA AND WESTMINSTER HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	about 1 week	89%
22	SALISBURY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSALISBURY	about 1 week	89%
23	SOMERSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTTAUNTON	about 1 week	88%
24	EPSOM AND ST HELIER UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTCARSHALTON	about 1 week	87%
25	ROYAL DEVON UNIVERSITY HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTEXETER	about 1 week	86%
26	NORTHERN LINCOLNSHIRE AND GOOLE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTGRIMSBY	about 1 week	85%
27	KINGSTON AND RICHMOND NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTKINGSTON UPON THAMES	about 1 week	76%
28	ALDER HEY CHILDREN'S NHS FOUNDATION TRUST	2 weeks	100%
29	COUNTESS OF CHESTER HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCHESTER	2 weeks	100%
30	THE HILLINGDON HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTUXBRIDGE	2 weeks	100%
31	AIREDALE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTKEIGHLEY	2 weeks	99%
32	IMPERIAL COLLEGE HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTLONDON	2 weeks	99%
33	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF MORECAMBE BAY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTKENDAL	2 weeks	98%
34	SANDWELL AND WEST BIRMINGHAM HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTSMETHWICK	2 weeks	98%
35	MID YORKSHIRE TEACHING NHS TRUSTWAKEFIELD	2 weeks	98%
36	LONDON INDEPENDENT HOSPITALLONDON	2 weeks	97%
37	WIRRAL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWIRRAL	2 weeks	96%
38	WEST SUFFOLK NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBURY ST. EDMUNDS	2 weeks	95%
39	NORTHUMBRIA HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTNORTH SHIELDS	2 weeks	94%
40	ASHFORD AND ST PETER'S HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCHERTSEY	2 weeks	94%
41	NORTH WEST ANGLIA NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTPETERBOROUGH	2 weeks	93%
42	SPIRE MURRAYFIELD HOSPITALWIRRAL	2 weeks	92%
43	BRADFORD TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBRADFORD	2 weeks	91%
44	LINCOLN PRIVATE HOSPITALLINCOLN	2 weeks	91%
45	WYE VALLEY NHS TRUSTHEREFORD	2 weeks	90%
46	NORTH CHESHIRE AND MERSEY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWARRINGTON	2 weeks	90%
47	SHERWOOD FOREST HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSUTTON-IN-ASHFIELD	2 weeks	90%
48	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS SUSSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWORTHING	2 weeks	89%
49	ROYAL SURREY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTGUILDFORD	2 weeks	89%
50	THE DUDLEY GROUP NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTDUDLEY	2 weeks	88%
51	MERSEY AND WEST LANCASHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTPRESCOT	2 weeks	88%
52	NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTNOTTINGHAM	2 weeks	88%
53	THE ROTHERHAM NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTROTHERHAM	2 weeks	88%
54	THE NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTNEWCASTLE UPON TYNE	2 weeks	87%
55	NORTHAMPTON GENERAL HOSPITAL NHS TRUSTNORTHAMPTON	2 weeks	87%
56	BEARDWOOD HOSPITALBLACKBURN	2 weeks	86%
57	OXFORD UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTOXFORD	2 weeks	86%
58	WORCESTERSHIRE ACUTE HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTWORCESTER	2 weeks	85%
59	THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL, KING'S LYNN, NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTKING'S LYNN	2 weeks	85%
60	LEEDS TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTLEEDS	2 weeks	85%
61	BOLTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBOLTON	2 weeks	83%
62	CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCAMBRIDGE	2 weeks	83%
63	KINGS OAK HOSPITALENFIELD	2 weeks	81%
64	SURREY AND SUSSEX HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTREDHILL	2 weeks	78%
65	ROYAL FREE LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	2 weeks	78%
66	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS DORSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTPOOLE	2 weeks	77%
67	DARTFORD AND GRAVESHAM NHS TRUSTDARTFORD	2 weeks	77%
68	MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTMANCHESTER	2 weeks	76%
69	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS PLYMOUTH NHS TRUSTPLYMOUTH	2 weeks	75%
70	YORK AND SCARBOROUGH TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTYORK	2 weeks	71%
71	HAMPSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBASINGSTOKE	2 weeks	70%
72	PORTSMOUTH HOSPITALS UNIVERSITY NHS TRUSTPORTSMOUTH	2 weeks	62%
73	THE CHRISTIE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTMANCHESTER	3 weeks	100%
74	CALDERDALE AND HUDDERSFIELD NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTHUDDERSFIELD	3 weeks	100%
75	WRIGHTINGTON, WIGAN AND LEIGH TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWIGAN	3 weeks	96%
76	THE ROYAL WOLVERHAMPTON NHS TRUSTWOLVERHAMPTON	3 weeks	96%
77	MEDWAY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTGILLINGHAM	3 weeks	94%
78	THE SHREWSBURY AND TELFORD HOSPITAL NHS TRUSTSHREWSBURY	3 weeks	94%
79	ST GEORGE'S UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	3 weeks	93%
80	EAST LANCASHIRE HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTBLACKBURN	3 weeks	88%
81	BEAUMONT HOSPITALBOLTON	3 weeks	88%
82	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF DERBY AND BURTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTDERBY	3 weeks	82%
83	EAST SUSSEX HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTST. LEONARDS-ON-SEA	3 weeks	81%
84	SPIRE FYLDE COAST HOSPITALBLACKPOOL	3 weeks	80%
85	ROYAL CORNWALL HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTTRURO	3 weeks	78%
86	BEDFORDSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLUTON	3 weeks	78%
87	HULL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTHULL	3 weeks	75%
88	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF LEICESTER NHS TRUSTLEICESTER	3 weeks	75%
89	BARNSLEY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBARNSLEY	3 weeks	75%
90	WOODLANDS HOSPITALDARLINGTON	3 weeks	75%
91	BUCKSHAW HOSPITALCHORLEY	3 weeks	74%
92	CROYDON HEALTH SERVICES NHS TRUSTTHORNTON HEATH	3 weeks	72%
93	LIVERPOOL WOMEN'S NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLIVERPOOL	3 weeks	72%
94	GATESHEAD HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTGATESHEAD	3 weeks	71%
95	SOUTH TEES HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTMIDDLESBROUGH	3 weeks	71%
96	SOUTH TYNESIDE AND SUNDERLAND NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSUNDERLAND	3 weeks	68%
97	WOODTHORPE HOSPITALNOTTINGHAM	3 weeks	68%
98	LEWISHAM AND GREENWICH NHS TRUSTLONDON	3 weeks	65%
99	TORBAY AND SOUTH DEVON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTTORQUAY	3 weeks	65%
100	LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLIVERPOOL	3 weeks	64%
101	THE BERKSHIRE INDEPENDENT HOSPITALREADING	3 weeks	64%
102	FULWOOD HALL HOSPITALPRESTON	3 weeks	56%
103	WHITTINGTON HEALTH NHS TRUSTLONDON	4 weeks	82%
104	EAST CHESHIRE NHS TRUSTMACCLESFIELD	4 weeks	72%
105	KETTERING GENERAL HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTKETTERING	4 weeks	68%
106	HUDDERSFIELD PRIVATE HOSPITALHUDDERSFIELD	4 weeks	68%
107	UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SOUTHAMPTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSOUTHAMPTON	4 weeks	64%
108	UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	4 weeks	64%
109	MID CHESHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCREWE	4 weeks	62%
110	RIVERS HOSPITALSAWBRIDGEWORTH	4 weeks	61%
111	HARROGATE AND DISTRICT NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTHARROGATE	4 weeks	60%
112	GLOUCESTERSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCHELTENHAM	4 weeks	59%
113	KING'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	4 weeks	58%
114	THE YORKSHIRE CLINICBINGLEY	5 weeks	58%
115	BUCKINGHAMSHIRE HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTAMERSHAM	5 weeks	58%
116	THE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA HOSPITAL NHS TRUSTHARLOW	5 weeks	56%
117	NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCARLISLE	5 weeks	54%
118	BARTS HEALTH NHS TRUSTLONDON	5 weeks	53%
119	DORSET COUNTY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTDORCHESTER	5 weeks	51%
120	BLACKPOOL TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBLACKPOOL	5 weeks	51%
121	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS BIRMINGHAM NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBIRMINGHAM	5 weeks	50%
122	NORTH DOWNS HOSPITALCATERHAM	5 weeks	50%
123	LANCASHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTPRESTON	6 weeks	50%
124	NORFOLK AND NORWICH UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTNORWICH	6 weeks	49%
125	GREAT WESTERN HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSWINDON	6 weeks	49%
126	BEACON PARK HOSPITALSTAFFORD	6 weeks	47%
127	FITZWILLIAM HOSPITALPETERBOROUGH	6 weeks	46%
128	RENACRES HOSPITALORMSKIRK	6 weeks	45%
129	BIRMINGHAM WOMEN'S AND CHILDREN'S NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBIRMINGHAM	6 weeks	42%
130	OAKLANDS HOSPITALSALFORD	6 weeks	33%
131	UNITED LINCOLNSHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTLINCOLN	7 weeks	42%
132	STOURSIDE HOSPITALSTOURBRIDGE	7 weeks	35%
133	GREAT ORMOND STREET HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	8 weeks	38%
134	MOUNT STUART HOSPITALTORQUAY	8 weeks	33%
135	BOSTON WEST HOSPITALBOSTON	8 weeks	25%
136	SHEFFIELD TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSHEFFIELD	9 weeks	42%
137	MID AND SOUTH ESSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWESTCLIFF-ON-SEA	9 weeks	41%
138	BLAKELANDS HOSPITALMILTON KEYNES	9 weeks	20%
139	JAMES PAGET UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTGREAT YARMOUTH	9 weeks	20%
140	FAIRFIELD INDEPENDENT HOSPITALST. HELENS	9 weeks	0%
141	WEST HERTFORDSHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTWATFORD	10 weeks	34%
142	MILTON KEYNES UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTMILTON KEYNES	11 weeks	27%
143	SHEFFIELD CHILDREN'S NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSHEFFIELD	13 weeks	26%
144	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE NHS TRUSTCOVENTRY	13 weeks	25%
145	GUY'S AND ST THOMAS' NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	13 weeks	24%

Can I choose where I have my Cystoscopy?

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.

How the NHS Right to Choose works

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.

NHS England DM01 source data

Frequently asked questions

How long is the NHS wait for Cystoscopy?: There is no single national wait — it depends on which hospital you are sent to. Cystoscopy 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 Cystoscopy, shortest median wait first, from NHS England's DM01 diagnostic figures.
Can I choose which hospital does my Cystoscopy?: 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 Cystoscopy?: 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 Cystoscopy wait different if it is urgent or to check for cancer?: Cystoscopy to investigate visible blood in the urine is usually arranged on an urgent (two-week-wait) basis rather than the routine list shown here.

Compare other NHS scans and tests

All NHS diagnostic waiting times

See also our guide to NHS urology waiting times.