How long is the NHS wait for Flexible sigmoidoscopy?

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

Can I choose which hospital does my Flexible sigmoidoscopy?

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 Flexible sigmoidoscopy?

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 Flexible sigmoidoscopy waiting times

A flexible sigmoidoscopy uses a thin flexible camera to look at the lower part of the large bowel (the rectum and sigmoid colon). It is a shorter test than a full colonoscopy. It is used to investigate rectal bleeding, changes in bowel habit affecting the lower bowel, and to assess known conditions there. 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 Flexi sig is ranked by its median wait, shortest first.

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

Typical trust wait

2 weeks

median across 164 trusts

Fastest trust

under 1 week

shortest published median

Hospitals compared

164

English NHS trusts reporting Flexi sig

Flexible sigmoidoscopy 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	BEAUMONT HOSPITALBOLTON	under 1 week	100%
2	SHIRLEY OAKS HOSPITALCROYDON	under 1 week	100%
3	THE LIVING CARE GROUPLEEDS	under 1 week	100%
4	ENDOCARE DIAGNOSTICS LTDMANCHESTER	under 1 week	100%
5	THE GRANGE MEDICAL CENTRE HQPONTEFRACT	under 1 week	100%
6	MOUNT STUART HOSPITALTORQUAY	under 1 week	90%
7	EAST LANCASHIRE HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTBLACKBURN	about 1 week	100%
8	UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	about 1 week	100%
9	ROYAL SURREY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTGUILDFORD	about 1 week	100%
10	EAST SUSSEX HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTST. LEONARDS-ON-SEA	about 1 week	100%
11	LEEDS TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTLEEDS	about 1 week	100%
12	DARTFORD AND GRAVESHAM NHS TRUSTDARTFORD	about 1 week	100%
13	LONDON INDEPENDENT HOSPITALLONDON	about 1 week	100%
14	THE HILLINGDON HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTUXBRIDGE	about 1 week	100%
15	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE NHS TRUSTCOVENTRY	about 1 week	98%
16	LONDON NORTH WEST UNIVERSITY HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTHARROW	about 1 week	97%
17	GATESHEAD HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTGATESHEAD	about 1 week	97%
18	MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTMANCHESTER	about 1 week	97%
19	DONCASTER AND BASSETLAW TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTDONCASTER	about 1 week	97%
20	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF NORTH MIDLANDS NHS TRUSTSTOKE-ON-TRENT	about 1 week	97%
21	OAKLANDS HOSPITALSALFORD	about 1 week	96%
22	SOUTH WARWICKSHIRE UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWARWICK	about 1 week	96%
23	HARROGATE AND DISTRICT NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTHARROGATE	about 1 week	95%
24	ISLE OF WIGHT NHS TRUSTNEWPORT	about 1 week	95%
25	NORTHUMBRIA HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTNORTH SHIELDS	about 1 week	95%
26	WOODLAND HOSPITALKETTERING	about 1 week	94%
27	INHEALTH LIMITEDBEACONSFIELD	about 1 week	94%
28	THE ROYAL MARSDEN NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	about 1 week	90%
29	HUDDERSFIELD PRIVATE HOSPITALHUDDERSFIELD	about 1 week	90%
30	MID YORKSHIRE TEACHING NHS TRUSTWAKEFIELD	2 weeks	100%
31	IMPERIAL COLLEGE HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTLONDON	2 weeks	100%
32	COBALT HOSPITALNEWCASTLE UPON TYNE	2 weeks	100%
33	PARK HOSPITALNOTTINGHAM	2 weeks	100%
34	PRACTICE PLUS GROUP HOSPITAL - EMERSONS GREENBRISTOL	2 weeks	100%
35	HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSOUTHAMPTON	2 weeks	100%
36	BEACON PARK HOSPITALSTAFFORD	2 weeks	100%
37	MERIDEN HOSPITALCOVENTRY	2 weeks	100%
38	CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCAMBRIDGE	2 weeks	100%
39	PRACTICE PLUS GROUP SURGICAL CENTRE - DEVIZESDEVIZES	2 weeks	100%
40	UNITED LINCOLNSHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTLINCOLN	2 weeks	100%
41	CALDERDALE AND HUDDERSFIELD NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTHUDDERSFIELD	2 weeks	99%
42	HOMERTON HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	2 weeks	99%
43	BOLTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBOLTON	2 weeks	99%
44	MEDWAY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTGILLINGHAM	2 weeks	98%
45	NORTH BRISTOL NHS TRUSTBRISTOL	2 weeks	98%
46	PRACTICE PLUS GROUP SURGICAL CENTRE - ST MARYS PORTSMOUTHPORTSMOUTH	2 weeks	97%
47	WHITTINGTON HEALTH NHS TRUSTLONDON	2 weeks	97%
48	THE ROTHERHAM NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTROTHERHAM	2 weeks	97%
49	THE SHREWSBURY AND TELFORD HOSPITAL NHS TRUSTSHREWSBURY	2 weeks	96%
50	TAMESIDE AND GLOSSOP INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTASHTON-UNDER-LYNE	2 weeks	96%
51	MILTON KEYNES UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTMILTON KEYNES	2 weeks	96%
52	SOUTH TYNESIDE AND SUNDERLAND NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSUNDERLAND	2 weeks	95%
53	WIRRAL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWIRRAL	2 weeks	95%
54	BRISTOL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBRISTOL	2 weeks	95%
55	GUY'S AND ST THOMAS' NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	2 weeks	95%
56	PRACTICE PLUS GROUP HOSPITAL - PLYMOUTHPLYMOUTH	2 weeks	94%
57	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF MORECAMBE BAY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTKENDAL	2 weeks	93%
58	SPIRE CHESHIRE HOSPITALWARRINGTON	2 weeks	92%
59	LEWISHAM AND GREENWICH NHS TRUSTLONDON	2 weeks	92%
60	COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EYECARE LIMITEDPRESTON	2 weeks	92%
61	WORCESTERSHIRE ACUTE HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTWORCESTER	2 weeks	92%
62	NORFOLK AND NORWICH UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTNORWICH	2 weeks	91%
63	BRADFORD TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBRADFORD	2 weeks	90%
64	ROYAL BERKSHIRE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTREADING	2 weeks	90%
65	COUNTESS OF CHESTER HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCHESTER	2 weeks	90%
66	CROYDON HEALTH SERVICES NHS TRUSTTHORNTON HEATH	2 weeks	90%
67	CHELSEA AND WESTMINSTER HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	2 weeks	90%
68	THE ROYAL WOLVERHAMPTON NHS TRUSTWOLVERHAMPTON	2 weeks	90%
69	WEST HERTFORDSHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTWATFORD	2 weeks	90%
70	BLACKPOOL TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBLACKPOOL	2 weeks	89%
71	SOUTH TEES HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTMIDDLESBROUGH	2 weeks	89%
72	TORBAY AND SOUTH DEVON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTTORQUAY	2 weeks	89%
73	KETTERING GENERAL HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTKETTERING	2 weeks	89%
74	GLENDON WOOD HOSPITALKETTERING	2 weeks	89%
75	SPIRE LIVERPOOL HOSPITALLIVERPOOL	2 weeks	88%
76	FRIMLEY HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCAMBERLEY	2 weeks	87%
77	NORTHERN CARE ALLIANCE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSALFORD	2 weeks	86%
78	YORK AND SCARBOROUGH TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTYORK	2 weeks	85%
79	EAST KENT HOSPITALS UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCANTERBURY	2 weeks	85%
80	EAST SUFFOLK AND NORTH ESSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCOLCHESTER	2 weeks	85%
81	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS PLYMOUTH NHS TRUSTPLYMOUTH	2 weeks	84%
82	SPIRE METHLEY PARK HOSPITALLEEDS	2 weeks	83%
83	ROYAL FREE LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	2 weeks	82%
84	SALISBURY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSALISBURY	2 weeks	81%
85	HULL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTHULL	2 weeks	80%
86	RIVERS HOSPITALSAWBRIDGEWORTH	2 weeks	78%
87	ROYAL DEVON UNIVERSITY HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTEXETER	2 weeks	77%
88	THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL, KING'S LYNN, NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTKING'S LYNN	2 weeks	76%
89	THE YORKSHIRE CLINICBINGLEY	2 weeks	76%
90	PRACTICE PLUS GROUP HOSPITAL - SOUTHAMPTONSOUTHAMPTON	2 weeks	75%
91	BUCKSHAW HOSPITALCHORLEY	2 weeks	72%
92	THREE SHIRES HOSPITALNORTHAMPTON	2 weeks	71%
93	NORTH TEES AND HARTLEPOOL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTHARTLEPOOL	3 weeks	100%
94	NORTH CHESHIRE AND MERSEY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWARRINGTON	3 weeks	94%
95	MAIDSTONE AND TUNBRIDGE WELLS NHS TRUSTMAIDSTONE	3 weeks	91%
96	THE DUDLEY GROUP NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTDUDLEY	3 weeks	91%
97	EUXTON HALL HOSPITALCHORLEY	3 weeks	89%
98	BARNSLEY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBARNSLEY	3 weeks	89%
99	KING'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	3 weeks	88%
100	WALSALL HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTWALSALL	3 weeks	86%
101	ROYAL CORNWALL HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTTRURO	3 weeks	86%
102	STOCKPORT NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSTOCKPORT	3 weeks	85%
103	WRIGHTINGTON, WIGAN AND LEIGH TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWIGAN	3 weeks	82%
104	SURREY AND SUSSEX HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTREDHILL	3 weeks	82%
105	COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTDARLINGTON	3 weeks	81%
106	PRACTICE PLUS GROUP HOSPITAL - SHEPTON MALLETSHEPTON MALLET	3 weeks	80%
107	MID CHESHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCREWE	3 weeks	78%
108	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS DORSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTPOOLE	3 weeks	78%
109	TEES VALLEY HOSPITALMIDDLESBROUGH	3 weeks	73%
110	GEORGE ELIOT HOSPITAL NHS TRUSTNUNEATON	3 weeks	73%
111	WYE VALLEY NHS TRUSTHEREFORD	3 weeks	73%
112	MERSEY AND WEST LANCASHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTPRESCOT	3 weeks	73%
113	DORSET COUNTY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTDORCHESTER	3 weeks	72%
114	LANCASHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTPRESTON	3 weeks	69%
115	UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SOUTHAMPTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSOUTHAMPTON	3 weeks	69%
116	SPIRE ST ANTHONY'S HOSPITALSUTTON	3 weeks	53%
117	BUCKINGHAMSHIRE HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTAMERSHAM	4 weeks	74%
118	GREAT WESTERN HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSWINDON	4 weeks	74%
119	PINEHILL HOSPITALHITCHIN	4 weeks	73%
120	SHERWOOD FOREST HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSUTTON-IN-ASHFIELD	4 weeks	73%
121	ST GEORGE'S UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLONDON	4 weeks	68%
122	EPSOM AND ST HELIER UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTCARSHALTON	4 weeks	67%
123	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF LEICESTER NHS TRUSTLEICESTER	4 weeks	64%
124	NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTNOTTINGHAM	4 weeks	64%
125	ASHFORD AND ST PETER'S HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCHERTSEY	4 weeks	63%
126	NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCARLISLE	4 weeks	62%
127	EAST AND NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE TEACHING NHS TRUSTSTEVENAGE	4 weeks	62%
128	THE NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTNEWCASTLE UPON TYNE	4 weeks	62%
129	SOMERSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTTAUNTON	4 weeks	60%
130	LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLIVERPOOL	4 weeks	60%
131	BARTS HEALTH NHS TRUSTLONDON	4 weeks	59%
132	WINFIELD HOSPITALGLOUCESTER	4 weeks	57%
133	ASHTEAD HOSPITALASHTEAD	4 weeks	50%
134	FULWOOD HALL HOSPITALPRESTON	5 weeks	75%
135	WOODLANDS HOSPITALDARLINGTON	5 weeks	73%
136	AIREDALE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTKEIGHLEY	5 weeks	58%
137	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS SUSSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWORTHING	5 weeks	55%
138	CHESTERFIELD ROYAL HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCHESTERFIELD	5 weeks	53%
139	NORTHERN LINCOLNSHIRE AND GOOLE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTGRIMSBY	5 weeks	53%
140	GLOUCESTERSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTCHELTENHAM	5 weeks	52%
141	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF DERBY AND BURTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTDERBY	5 weeks	52%
142	NORTH WEST ANGLIA NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTPETERBOROUGH	5 weeks	51%
143	ROYAL UNITED HOSPITALS BATH NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBATH	5 weeks	51%
144	SANDWELL AND WEST BIRMINGHAM HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTSMETHWICK	5 weeks	50%
145	SPIRE ELLAND HOSPITALELLAND	5 weeks	50%
146	BEDFORDSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTLUTON	6 weeks	50%
147	JAMES PAGET UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTGREAT YARMOUTH	6 weeks	49%
148	BLAKELANDS HOSPITALMILTON KEYNES	6 weeks	47%
149	OXFORD UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTOXFORD	6 weeks	47%
150	THE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA HOSPITAL NHS TRUSTHARLOW	6 weeks	46%
151	KINGSTON AND RICHMOND NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTKINGSTON UPON THAMES	7 weeks	46%
152	BEACON MEDICAL SERVICES GROUP LIMITEDMANCHESTER	7 weeks	44%
153	WEST SUFFOLK NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBURY ST. EDMUNDS	7 weeks	43%
154	EAST CHESHIRE NHS TRUSTMACCLESFIELD	7 weeks	41%
155	SHEFFIELD TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSHEFFIELD	7 weeks	40%
156	NORTH DOWNS HOSPITALCATERHAM	7 weeks	38%
157	SPIRE LONDON EASTILFORD	8 weeks	46%
158	NORTHAMPTON GENERAL HOSPITAL NHS TRUSTNORTHAMPTON	8 weeks	33%
159	SPIRE REGENCY HOSPITALMACCLESFIELD	9 weeks	33%
160	FITZWILLIAM HOSPITALPETERBOROUGH	10 weeks	40%
161	HAMPSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBASINGSTOKE	11 weeks	35%
162	MID AND SOUTH ESSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWESTCLIFF-ON-SEA	12 weeks	38%
163	UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS BIRMINGHAM NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTBIRMINGHAM	13 weeks	35%
164	PORTSMOUTH HOSPITALS UNIVERSITY NHS TRUSTPORTSMOUTH	13 weeks	23%

Can I choose where I have my Flexi sig?

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 Flexible sigmoidoscopy?: There is no single national wait — it depends on which hospital you are sent to. Flexi sig 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 Flexi sig, shortest median wait first, from NHS England's DM01 diagnostic figures.
Can I choose which hospital does my Flexible sigmoidoscopy?: 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 Flexible sigmoidoscopy?: 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

All NHS diagnostic waiting times

See also our guide to NHS gastroenterology waiting times.