Loading…
NHS waiting times
Data through July 2026. NHS source.
Laser eye / refractive surgery is usually treated within the NHS Ophthalmology Service pathway. The median wait across 346 NHS trusts and independent providers reporting to the NHS is 7 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 7 weeks as of July 2026, across 346 NHS trusts and independent providers reporting to the NHS, and 9 in 10 current patients are within 30 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.