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NHS waiting times
Data through May 2026. NHS source.
Laser eye / refractive surgery is usually treated within the NHS Ophthalmology Service pathway. The median wait across 344 NHS trusts and independent providers reporting to the NHS is 8 weeks for the outpatient appointment, with 7 in 10 patients seen within the 18-week target. Routing note: Refractive / laser eye surgery (LASIK, LASEK, SMILE) is almost never NHS-funded — it's considered cosmetic in most cases. Lens-based surgery (e.g. cataract surgery, which also corrects vision) IS NHS-funded where indicated.
The national median NHS wait for Laser eye / refractive surgery is 8 weeks as of May 2026, across 344 NHS trusts and independent providers reporting to the NHS, and 9 in 10 current patients are within 32 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 →
Top 10 NHS trusts publishing Ophthalmology Service data, ranked by shortest median wait. Want 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.
Search by postcode →