NHS Nerve conduction test waiting times
Also called: neurophysiology, nerve conduction study, EMG.
Peripheral neurophysiology tests — nerve conduction studies and EMG — measure how well nerves and muscles are working using small electrical signals. They are used to investigate numbness, tingling and weakness, including conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and nerve entrapment. There is no single national wait: it depends heavily on which hospital you are sent to, and the spread between hospitals is large. Below, the NHS trusts and independent providers reporting Neurophysiology to NHS England are ranked by median wait, shortest first.
Compiled by Dr Mustafa Ghafouri (MBChB, MSc) · NHS England DM01 data, September 2026
Typical hospital wait
3 weeks
median across 110 NHS trusts and independent providers
Fastest hospital
under 1 week
shortest published median
Hospitals compared
110
93 NHS trusts and 17 independent providers reporting Neurophysiology
Peripheral neurophysiology 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 Neurophysiology?
For a planned, non-urgent diagnostic 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. 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. If the test leads to a referral, you can also compare NHS waiting times for treatment at hospital trusts in England.
Where these numbers come from
Waits are from NHS England's monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity (DM01) statistics, for September 2026. Each figure is the provider'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 Peripheral neurophysiology?
- There is no single national wait — it depends on which hospital you are sent to. Neurophysiology 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 Neurophysiology to NHS England, shortest median wait first, from NHS England's DM01 diagnostic figures.
- Can I choose which hospital does my Peripheral neurophysiology?
- 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 Peripheral neurophysiology?
- 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.
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See also our guide to NHS neurology waiting times.