Outpatient waiting times

After we receive your GP referral, it is reviewed by a clinician in a process called triage. This helps us decide the best next step for your care.

Following triage, one of the following may happen:

• You are offered an appointment with a doctor, nurse or specialist.
• You are referred for further tests, such as an X-ray or MRI scan.
• Advice is sent to your GP so they can continue to manage your care.

If you need an appointment or tests, we will contact you as soon as possible with the earliest available date. You will then receive a confirmation letter with the time, date and details of your appointment.

You may be asked to attend a face-to-face appointment at the hospital, or a virtual appointment by telephone or video call.

Below, you can find an overview of current waiting times for specific specialties and conditions. We aim to update this information monthly.

Please note that your personal waiting time may vary, depending on your individual needs, your health and the type of service you require.

What to do while you are waiting

For advice and practical support to help you and those you care for stay well while waiting for surgery, visit: Suffolk and North East Essex Wellbeing Support Services.

This information was last updated on 12 February 2026.

Select the service

• Breast
• Colorectal
• General surgery
• Ear, nose and throat (ENT)
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopaedics
• Plastics
• Urology
• Vascular
• Cardiology
• Dermatology
• Diabetes
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology
• Hepatology
• Nephrology
• Neurology
• Pain management
• Respiratory
• Rheumatology
• Gynaecology
• Paediatrics

Breast

Colorectal

General surgery

Ear, nose and throat (ENT)

Ophthalmology

Orthopaedics

Plastics

Urology

Vascular

Cardiology

Dermatology

Diabetes

Endocrinology

Gastroenterology

Hepatology

Nephrology

Neurology

Pain management

Respiratory

Rheumatology

Gynaecology

Paediatrics