General Surgery Service

General Surgery Service at SANDWELL AND WEST BIRMINGHAM HOSPITALS NHS TRUST

What this means for you

Your wait is roughly 2 weeks longer than average.

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

At SANDWELL AND WEST BIRMINGHAM HOSPITALS NHS TRUST, the median general surgery service wait is 12 weeks, compared to 10 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 SANDWELL AND WEST BIRMINGHAM HOSPITALS NHS TRUST compares

Rank: #50 of 117 — 67 trusts faster, in the faster half of trusts treating General Surgery Service in England.
12-month trend: rising — 2 weeks longer than a year ago.
Fastest nationally: UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS DORSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUST — 2-week wait. Switch saves 10 weeks.

This is the typical wait for General Surgery Service as a whole at SANDWELL AND WEST BIRMINGHAM HOSPITALS NHS 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
By NHS law you can choose any NHS hospital in England for your first outpatient appointment. Take a pre-filled letter to your GP — it sets out your situation and the trust you'd prefer.
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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 general surgery
Check if private medical insurance would cover this
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SANDWELL AND WEST BIRMINGHAM HOSPITALS NHS TRUSTSMETHWICK, B66 2QT

The data behind it

Median wait: 12wOn the list: 4,597Within 18 weeks: 65%

General Surgery Service — 12-month median wait

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

12-month range: 12-19 weeks (spread 7 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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