Ear Nose and Throat Service

Ear Nose and Throat Service at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

What this means for you

Your wait is roughly 3 weeks longer than average.

4/10Doctor Data Wait Score™ · Below averagevs nat. median 13w

At Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the median ear nose and throat service wait is 16 weeks, compared to 13 weeks nationally. Doctor Data Wait Score: 4/10. You may be able to cut your wait substantially by switching to a different NHS hospital using your Right to Choose. Below are your realistic options.

How Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust compares

Rank: #83 of 113 — 82 trusts faster, in the slower half of trusts treating Ear Nose and Throat Service in England.
12-month trend: falling — 1 week shorter than a year ago.
Fastest nationally: King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust — 5-week wait. Switch saves 11 weeks.

This is the typical wait for Ear Nose and Throat Service as a whole at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Your specific procedure could be faster or slower — ask your GP for an estimate that's specific to you.

Ask your GP to refer you to King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
By NHS law you can choose any NHS hospital in England for your first outpatient appointment. King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is the fastest within 34 miles of here for this specialty — around 11 weeks sooner than Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The letter below already names them; check the travel is realistic for you before you take it to your GP.
Generate GP letter for King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
or request Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust instead
Compare with other NHS hospitals near you
See which NHS trusts have shorter waits for this specialty. Useful evidence for your GP conversation.
See national rankings for ent
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Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustLuton, LU4 0DZ

The data behind it

Median wait: 16wOn the list: 8,048Within 18 weeks: 53%9 in 10 within: 42w

The median shows how long patients currently on this list have waited so far — a new routine referral will often wait longer (9 in 10 current patients are within 42 weeks). Why these differ →

Ear Nose and Throat Service — 12-month median wait

This trust (solid) vs national average (dashed). Data through July 2026.

12-month range: 13-16 weeks (spread 3 weeks). Trust waits are sensitive to consultant joins/leaves, list-management policy, and coding changes — the headline median above is one point in this range, not a fixed value.

▸ Why median wait can vary (pooled lists, coding, consultant mix)

Wait times are pooled across all consultants in this specialty at this trust. Your individual wait depends on which consultant you're allocated. Why this matters →

Source: NHS England RTT. Median wait calculated from the published weekly band distribution for incomplete pathways. Source: NHS England RTT · Analysis: Doctor Data Ltd.

Your options now

Pre-fill a GP letter for Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Two-minute form. Takes a copy of this trust + specialty to your GP appointment. You can edit the wording before printing.

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Common questions

How long is the wait for ENT at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust?: The median wait is 16 weeks (July 2026 data). Half of the people currently on this list have waited less than that so far and half have waited longer; a new routine referral will often wait longer, so treat it as a guide rather than a promise. 53.1% of patients on the list have been waiting under 18 weeks, which is the NHS constitutional standard.
Is Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust faster or slower than average for ENT?: Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's median wait is 16 weeks. That is 3 weeks longer than the England median of 13 weeks. It ranks 83 of 113 trusts reporting ENT this month, fastest first.
What is the longest people wait for ENT at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust?: Nine in ten people currently waiting have been on the list 42 weeks or less (July 2026 data). The remaining one in ten have waited longer than that.
Can I choose a different hospital for ENT?: Yes. In England you have a legal right to choose which hospital you are referred to for most planned consultant-led care, including providers outside your local area. You can ask your GP to refer you elsewhere, or ask to switch after referral. Whether that is worth doing depends on travel, the treatment you need and your own circumstances — this site shows the published waits so you and your GP can weigh it up.
How up to date are these ENT waiting times?: These figures cover July 2026. NHS England publishes Referral-to-Treatment data monthly, roughly six weeks after the month it describes, and this page updates within days of each release. Waiting times are not live queue positions: they describe how long people on the list have already been waiting.

Common questions

How long is the wait for ENT at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust?

The median wait is 16 weeks (July 2026 data). Half of the people currently on this list have waited less than that so far and half have waited longer; a new routine referral will often wait longer, so treat it as a guide rather than a promise. 53.1% of patients on the list have been waiting under 18 weeks, which is the NHS constitutional standard.

Is Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust faster or slower than average for ENT?

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's median wait is 16 weeks. That is 3 weeks longer than the England median of 13 weeks. It ranks 83 of 113 trusts reporting ENT this month, fastest first.

What is the longest people wait for ENT at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust?

Nine in ten people currently waiting have been on the list 42 weeks or less (July 2026 data). The remaining one in ten have waited longer than that.

Can I choose a different hospital for ENT?

Yes. In England you have a legal right to choose which hospital you are referred to for most planned consultant-led care, including providers outside your local area. You can ask your GP to refer you elsewhere, or ask to switch after referral. Whether that is worth doing depends on travel, the treatment you need and your own circumstances — this site shows the published waits so you and your GP can weigh it up.

How up to date are these ENT waiting times?

These figures cover July 2026. NHS England publishes Referral-to-Treatment data monthly, roughly six weeks after the month it describes, and this page updates within days of each release. Waiting times are not live queue positions: they describe how long people on the list have already been waiting.