Rheumatology Service

CQC: Requires improvement

Rheumatology Service at NORTHERN CARE ALLIANCE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

What this means for you

Your wait is significantly longer than average — about 6 weeks more.

1/10Doctor Data Wait Score™ · Poorvs nat. median 8w

At NORTHERN CARE ALLIANCE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST, the median rheumatology service wait is 14 weeks, compared to 8 weeks nationally. Doctor Data Wait Score: 1/10. Right to Choose is the most powerful lever you have — switching to a shorter-waiting NHS hospital is free and fast. Private is a backup if you have insurance.

How NORTHERN CARE ALLIANCE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST compares

Rank: #97 of 118 — 21 trusts faster, among the slowest 25% of trusts treating Rheumatology Service in England.
12-month trend: falling — 1 week shorter than a year ago.
Fastest nationally: HOMERTON HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST — 1-week wait. Switch saves 13 weeks.

This is the typical wait for Rheumatology Service as a whole at NORTHERN CARE ALLIANCE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST. Your specific procedure could be faster or slower — ask your GP for an estimate that's specific to you.

Talk to your GP about Right to Choose
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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 rheumatology
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NORTHERN CARE ALLIANCE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTSALFORD, M6 8HD

The data behind it

Median wait: 14wOn the list: 2,186Within 18 weeks: 59%

Rheumatology Service — 12-month median wait

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

12-month range: 12-17 weeks (spread 5 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

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