How long is the NHS wait for Ultrasound scan?

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

Can I choose which hospital does my Ultrasound 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 Ultrasound 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.

Diagnostics

NHS Ultrasound scan waiting times

Also called: ultrasound, sonography, non-obstetric ultrasound.

An ultrasound scan uses high-frequency sound waves to create live images of organs and soft tissue. This figure covers non-obstetric ultrasound (i.e. not pregnancy scans). Ultrasound is used to look at the abdomen, pelvis, thyroid, blood vessels, joints and more. It is painless, quick and uses no radiation, which is why it is often the first scan requested. 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 Ultrasound to NHS England are ranked by median wait, shortest first.

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

Typical hospital wait

2 weeks

median across 224 NHS trusts and independent providers

Fastest hospital

under 1 week

shortest published median

Hospitals compared

224

134 NHS trusts and 90 independent providers reporting Ultrasound

Find your wait

Compare Ultrasound scan waits near you

Enter your postcode to see the hospitals near you ranked by wait and distance. Free, independent, from NHS figures.

Ultrasound 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.

#	Hospital or provider	Median wait	Within 6 weeks
1	Shirley Oaks HospitalCroydon	under 1 week	100%
2	Cora Health Diagnostics (Formerly Healthshare Diagnostics)West Malling	under 1 week	96%
3	Kings Oak HospitalEnfield	under 1 week	95%
4	Sloane HospitalBeckenham	under 1 week	92%
5	Beaumont HospitalBolton	under 1 week	88%
6	Chelsfield Park HospitalOrpington	about 1 week	100%
7	Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation TrustLiverpool	about 1 week	100%
8	Croydon Health Services NHS TrustThornton Heath	about 1 week	100%
9	Fairfield Independent HospitalSt. Helens	about 1 week	100%
10	Tyneside Surgical Services LtdGateshead	about 1 week	100%
11	Droitwich Spa HospitalDroitwich	about 1 week	100%
12	Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS TrustStanmore	about 1 week	100%
13	The Rotherham NHS Foundation TrustRotherham	about 1 week	100%
14	Circle Reading HospitalReading	about 1 week	100%
15	Sulis Hospital Bath (Foxcote Avenue)Bath	about 1 week	100%
16	North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation TrustWarrington	about 1 week	100%
17	KIMS Hospital (Newnham Court)Maidstone	about 1 week	100%
18	Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation TrustLondon	about 1 week	100%
19	The Royal Wolverhampton NHS TrustWolverhampton	about 1 week	100%
20	Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustSouthampton	about 1 week	100%
21	University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS TrustCoventry	about 1 week	100%
22	Medway NHS Foundation TrustGillingham	about 1 week	100%
23	Royal Surrey NHS Foundation TrustGuildford	about 1 week	99%
24	The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation TrustBirmingham	about 1 week	99%
25	Isle of Wight NHS TrustNewport	about 1 week	99%
26	Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustBradford	about 1 week	99%
27	East Sussex Healthcare NHS TrustSt. Leonards-on-Sea	about 1 week	99%
28	South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustMiddlesbrough	about 1 week	99%
29	University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation TrustPoole	about 1 week	99%
30	Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation TrustDorchester	about 1 week	99%
31	Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation TrustWirral	about 1 week	99%
32	North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation TrustCarlisle	about 1 week	99%
33	The Christie NHS Foundation TrustManchester	about 1 week	98%
34	Epsomedical GroupCobham	about 1 week	98%
35	Woodlands HospitalDarlington	about 1 week	98%
36	University Hospitals of Leicester NHS TrustLeicester	about 1 week	98%
37	King's College Hospital NHS Foundation TrustLondon	about 1 week	98%
38	Highfield HospitalRochdale	about 1 week	97%
39	Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustSutton-in-Ashfield	about 1 week	97%
40	Spire Bushey HospitalBushey	about 1 week	97%
41	Beardwood HospitalBlackburn	about 1 week	96%
42	The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation TrustLondon	about 1 week	96%
43	West Midlands HospitalHalesowen	about 1 week	96%
44	London Independent HospitalLondon	about 1 week	95%
45	George Eliot Hospital NHS TrustNuneaton	about 1 week	95%
46	Nuffield Health, Brentwood HospitalBrentwood	about 1 week	94%
47	Spire Hull and East Riding HospitalHull	about 1 week	94%
48	Practice Plus Group Hospital - PlymouthPlymouth	about 1 week	91%
49	Cavell HospitalEnfield	about 1 week	89%
50	Blackheath HospitalLondon	about 1 week	88%
51	Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation TrustHuddersfield	about 1 week	84%
52	Pinehill HospitalHitchin	about 1 week	78%
53	Oaks HospitalColchester	about 1 week	70%
54	Bespoke Healthcare LtdPreston	about 1 week	58%
55	Spire Washington HospitalWashington	2 weeks	100%
56	Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation TrustBarnsley	2 weeks	100%
57	Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustNorth Shields	2 weeks	100%
58	Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust	2 weeks	100%
59	Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation TrustAshton-under-Lyne	2 weeks	100%
60	Bolton NHS Foundation TrustBolton	2 weeks	100%
61	The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation TrustOswestry	2 weeks	100%
62	Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS TrustCarshalton	2 weeks	99%
63	Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation TrustSheffield	2 weeks	99%
64	Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS TrustWakefield	2 weeks	99%
65	Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustSwindon	2 weeks	99%
66	Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation TrustReading	2 weeks	99%
67	Whittington Health NHS TrustLondon	2 weeks	99%
68	Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS TrustTruro	2 weeks	99%
69	Manchester University NHS Foundation TrustManchester	2 weeks	99%
70	Gateshead Health NHS Foundation TrustGateshead	2 weeks	98%
71	Huddersfield Private HospitalHuddersfield	2 weeks	98%
72	Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustCrewe	2 weeks	98%
73	Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustLondon	2 weeks	98%
74	Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustDoncaster	2 weeks	98%
75	Clementine Churchill HospitalHarrow	2 weeks	97%
76	The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNewcastle upon Tyne	2 weeks	97%
77	Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation TrustEast Grinstead	2 weeks	97%
78	Park HospitalNottingham	2 weeks	96%
79	Oaklands HospitalSalford	2 weeks	96%
80	Airedale NHS Foundation TrustKeighley	2 weeks	96%
81	Wye Valley NHS TrustHereford	2 weeks	96%
82	Beacon Park HospitalStafford	2 weeks	95%
83	Frimley Health NHS Foundation TrustCamberley	2 weeks	95%
84	East Lancashire Hospitals NHS TrustBlackburn	2 weeks	95%
85	Salisbury NHS Foundation TrustSalisbury	2 weeks	95%
86	University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustLondon	2 weeks	95%
87	Spire Regency HospitalMacclesfield	2 weeks	94%
88	Stockport NHS Foundation TrustStockport	2 weeks	94%
89	Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation TrustMilton Keynes	2 weeks	94%
90	Nuffield Health, Tees HospitalStockton-on-Tees	2 weeks	93%
91	Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation TrustPreston	2 weeks	93%
92	Spire Elland HospitalElland	2 weeks	93%
93	Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation TrustSalford	2 weeks	93%
94	Spire Alexandra HospitalChatham	2 weeks	92%
95	Harrogate and District NHS Foundation TrustHarrogate	2 weeks	92%
96	Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustLiverpool	2 weeks	92%
97	Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustCheltenham	2 weeks	92%
98	South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation TrustWarwick	2 weeks	92%
99	Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation TrustLiverpool	2 weeks	92%
100	Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustOxford	2 weeks	92%
101	University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation TrustWorthing	2 weeks	91%
102	Buckshaw HospitalChorley	2 weeks	91%
103	East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation TrustColchester	2 weeks	91%
104	Barts Health NHS TrustLondon	2 weeks	91%
105	Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustBasingstoke	2 weeks	91%
106	The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustUxbridge	2 weeks	91%
107	Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation TrustLondon	2 weeks	91%
108	Ashtead HospitalAshtead	2 weeks	90%
109	Bristol NHS Foundation TrustBristol	2 weeks	90%
110	University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS TrustStoke-on-Trent	2 weeks	90%
111	Renacres HospitalOrmskirk	2 weeks	90%
112	Spire Little Aston HospitalSutton Coldfield	2 weeks	90%
113	University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation TrustSouthampton	2 weeks	89%
114	Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS TrustPortsmouth	2 weeks	89%
115	Dartford and Gravesham NHS TrustDartford	2 weeks	88%
116	Bishops Wood HospitalNorthwood	2 weeks	88%
117	Fitzwilliam HospitalPeterborough	2 weeks	88%
118	Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation TrustChesterfield	2 weeks	87%
119	Boston West HospitalBoston	2 weeks	87%
120	Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS TrustSmethwick	2 weeks	87%
121	Sussex Community NHS Foundation TrustBrighton	2 weeks	86%
122	Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation TrustBath	2 weeks	86%
123	Spire Fylde Coast HospitalBlackpool	2 weeks	85%
124	Somerset NHS Foundation TrustTaunton	2 weeks	85%
125	Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondon	2 weeks	84%
126	Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation TrustBirmingham	2 weeks	84%
127	Stourside HospitalStourbridge	2 weeks	83%
128	Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustLuton	2 weeks	83%
129	Royal Free London NHS Foundation TrustLondon	2 weeks	82%
130	Practice Plus Group Hospital - Shepton MalletShepton Mallet	2 weeks	82%
131	Nuffield Health, York HospitalYork	2 weeks	81%
132	Walsall Healthcare NHS TrustWalsall	2 weeks	81%
133	Woodland HospitalKettering	2 weeks	81%
134	Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS TrustMaidstone	2 weeks	80%
135	Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustPrescot	2 weeks	80%
136	Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS TrustAmersham	2 weeks	78%
137	Glendon Wood HospitalKettering	2 weeks	77%
138	Practice Plus Group Hospital - Emersons GreenBristol	3 weeks	96%
139	Spire Wellesley HospitalSouthend-on-Sea	3 weeks	93%
140	East Cheshire NHS TrustMacclesfield	3 weeks	92%
141	The Hamptons Hospital LtdPeterborough	3 weeks	91%
142	Fulwood Hall HospitalPreston	3 weeks	87%
143	Dorking Healthcare Limited (DHC)Redhill	3 weeks	86%
144	MedeferLondon	3 weeks	86%
145	Thornbury HospitalSheffield	3 weeks	85%
146	Spire Leicester HospitalLeicester	3 weeks	85%
147	University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation TrustKendal	3 weeks	84%
148	Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustLeeds	3 weeks	82%
149	Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation TrustGrimsby	3 weeks	82%
150	North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation TrustHartlepool	3 weeks	81%
151	The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation TrustKing's Lynn	3 weeks	81%
152	Springfield HospitalChelmsford	3 weeks	81%
153	Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation TrustChester	3 weeks	80%
154	Euxton Hall HospitalChorley	3 weeks	80%
155	University Hospitals Plymouth NHS TrustPlymouth	3 weeks	80%
156	Hendon HospitalLondon	3 weeks	80%
157	James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustGreat Yarmouth	3 weeks	79%
158	Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNorwich	3 weeks	78%
159	University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation TrustDerby	3 weeks	77%
160	Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation TrustKettering	3 weeks	77%
161	Woodthorpe HospitalNottingham	3 weeks	77%
162	The Berkshire Independent HospitalReading	3 weeks	76%
163	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustPreston	3 weeks	76%
164	Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation TrustKingston upon Thames	3 weeks	76%
165	South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation TrustSunderland	3 weeks	75%
166	London North West University Healthcare NHS TrustHarrow	3 weeks	75%
167	Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustExeter	3 weeks	74%
168	Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre - St Marys PortsmouthPortsmouth	3 weeks	74%
169	Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation TrustLondon	3 weeks	74%
170	Spire Parkway HospitalSolihull	3 weeks	73%
171	Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation TrustLondon	3 weeks	73%
172	Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS TrustRedhill	3 weeks	72%
173	West Suffolk NHS Foundation TrustBury St. Edmunds	3 weeks	72%
174	Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation TrustTorquay	3 weeks	72%
175	Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustHull	3 weeks	70%
176	The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS TrustHarlow	3 weeks	69%
177	York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustYork	3 weeks	68%
178	The Yorkshire ClinicBingley	3 weeks	66%
179	Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation TrustWestcliff-on-Sea	3 weeks	66%
180	Meriden HospitalCoventry	3 weeks	66%
181	The Dudley Group NHS Foundation TrustDudley	3 weeks	65%
182	Spire London EastIlford	3 weeks	65%
183	North Downs HospitalCaterham	3 weeks	60%
184	Manchester Surgical Services LtdManchester	4 weeks	92%
185	Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustWigan	4 weeks	87%
186	Spire Liverpool HospitalLiverpool	4 weeks	82%
187	Nuffield Health, Bristol Hospital (Chesterfield)Bristol	4 weeks	77%
188	County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation TrustDarlington	4 weeks	69%
189	Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustChertsey	4 weeks	67%
190	Rowley Hall HospitalStafford	4 weeks	65%
191	Rivers HospitalSawbridgeworth	4 weeks	65%
192	Northampton General Hospital NHS TrustNorthampton	4 weeks	63%
193	The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS TrustShrewsbury	4 weeks	63%
194	St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustLondon	4 weeks	63%
195	Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustCambridge	4 weeks	63%
196	Suffolk GP Federation	4 weeks	61%
197	Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustBlackpool	4 weeks	61%
198	Lewisham and Greenwich NHS TrustLondon	4 weeks	61%
199	Three Shires HospitalNorthampton	4 weeks	60%
200	West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustWatford	4 weeks	60%
201	East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS TrustStevenage	4 weeks	59%
202	Winfield HospitalGloucester	5 weeks	70%
203	Mount Stuart HospitalTorquay	5 weeks	60%
204	University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation TrustBirmingham	5 weeks	58%
205	Beacon Medical Services Group LimitedManchester	5 weeks	56%
206	Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS TrustRomford	5 weeks	55%
207	North West Anglia NHS Foundation TrustPeterborough	5 weeks	54%
208	Spire Methley Park HospitalLeeds	5 weeks	52%
209	Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS TrustWorcester	5 weeks	51%
210	InHealth LimitedBeaconsfield	6 weeks	49%
211	Nottingham University Hospitals NHS TrustNottingham	6 weeks	48%
212	Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre - DevizesDevizes	6 weeks	48%
213	Tees Valley HospitalMiddlesbrough	6 weeks	48%
214	Practice Plus Group Hospital - SouthamptonSouthampton	6 weeks	43%
215	Shropshire Community Health NHS TrustShrewsbury	6 weeks	24%
216	Park Hill HospitalDoncaster	7 weeks	35%
217	Clifton Park HospitalYork	8 weeks	39%
218	United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustLincoln	8 weeks	39%
219	Practice Plus Group Hospital BirminghamBirmingham	8 weeks	13%
220	Practice Plus Group Hospital - IlfordIlford	9 weeks	42%
221	East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation TrustCanterbury	9 weeks	32%
222	Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustSheffield	10 weeks	34%
223	Blakelands HospitalMilton Keynes	10 weeks	29%
224	The Cherwell HospitalBanbury	13 weeks	31%

Can I choose where I have my Ultrasound?

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.

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 August 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.

NHS England DM01 source data

Frequently asked questions

How long is the NHS wait for Ultrasound scan?: There is no single national wait — it depends on which hospital you are sent to. Ultrasound 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 Ultrasound to NHS England, shortest median wait first, from NHS England's DM01 diagnostic figures.
Can I choose which hospital does my Ultrasound 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 Ultrasound 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.

Compare other NHS scans and tests

All NHS diagnostic waiting times

See also our guide to NHS gynaecology waiting times.