Loading…
NHS waiting times
Data through August 2026. NHS source.
Eye operation (general) is usually treated within the NHS Ophthalmology Service pathway. The median wait so far across 343 NHS trusts and independent providers reporting to the NHS is 8 weeks, counted from referral on the whole Ophthalmology Service list, and 7 in 10 patients on that list have waited less than 18 weeks, the maximum wait set out in the Handbook to the NHS Constitution for non-urgent consultant-led treatment (the 18-week standard is at least 92%). Routing note: Most eye operations on the NHS are arranged through Ophthalmology. Cataract surgery is by far the most common — see the cataract entry. Other common procedures include glaucoma surgery, vitrectomy and eyelid surgery.
The national median NHS wait for Eye operation (general) is 8 weeks as of August 2026, across 343 NHS trusts and independent providers reporting to the NHS, and 9 in 10 current patients are within 31 weeks. But the wait varies significantly between trusts — see the full ranking to find the shortest wait near you.
The median shows time waited so far by the current list — a new routine referral will often wait longer. Why these differ →
Up to 10 acute and specialist NHS trusts with 50 or more people on the Ophthalmology Service waiting list, ranked by shortest median wait. Community and mental-health trusts, smaller lists and independent providers are on the full ranking: See all trusts on the Ophthalmology Service national page →
Hospitals ranked by shortest wait within travelling distance of each city.
The ranking above is national. To rank hospitals by distance from your postcode, search with your postcode below.