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NHS waiting times
Data through August 2026. NHS source.
Lung surgery is usually treated within the NHS Cardiothoracic Surgery Service pathway. The national median wait so far is 8 weeks across 42 NHS trusts and independent providers reporting to the NHS. It is time waited since referral by people still waiting on the whole Cardiothoracic Surgery Service list, not a wait for lung surgery on its own. On that list, 7 in 10 patients 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%). The wait at any individual hospital can be materially shorter or longer than this national median — the ranking below shows the shortest-wait trusts first.
The national median NHS wait for Lung surgery is 8 weeks as of August 2026, across 42 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 Cardiothoracic Surgery 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 Cardiothoracic Surgery 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.