To help prevent the spread of winter viruses such as Covid-19, influenza and norovirus (winter vomiting bug), and to protect our patients and staff, please do not visit patients in our hospitals if you have: flu-like symptoms (cough, fever, cold); Covid-19 or influenza, or any other infections; diarrhoea and/or vomiting within the last two days.

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Outpatient waiting times

Once we receive your referral from your GP, it goes through a process called ‘triage’ where we look to see the best way forward for you.

The three options at this stage are:

  • To send you for an appointment with a doctor/ nurse or other specialist for you

  • To send you for more testing, such as X-ray, MRI scan or other testing

  • To send advice and guidance to your GP and allow them to lead your care

For an appointment or testing, you will be contacted as soon as possible to offer you an appointment for the soonest time available. You will receive a confirmation letter of your appointment, which will tell you the day, date and time of the appointment. You may be asked to attend hospital for a face-to-face appointment or a virtual clinic, either over the telephone or using video calling technology such as Zoom.

We have a more detailed waiting time guide (in the table below) for the different departments and conditions. We aim to update this table on a monthly basis to make sure you have information that is as current as we can possibly provide.

Your specific waiting time will depend on your personal circumstances, your health, and the department that you need to see.


What to expect if you’re referred to us.

We have developed a short leaflet to give you some guidance on what to expect when you’re referred to us.  This link takes you to our patients and visitors web page.  What to expect if you're referred to us

 

Waiting time to first outpatient appointment at October 2024

Specialty

Clinic Type

Current wait time (Weeks)

Days of the week clinics are held

Locations

Colorectal

Routine

16

Monday - Thursday

West Suffolk Hospital, Sudbury Health Centre, Thetford Healthy Living Centre, Newmarket Community Hospital

General Surgery

Routine

6

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

West Suffolk Hospital, Sudbury Health Centre,

ENT

Routine

12

Monday - Friday 

West Suffolk Hospital, Newmarket Community Hospital, Thetford Healthy Living Centre, Sudbury Health Centre

Voice

20

Friday

West Suffolk Hospital

Dizzy

6

Monday - Friday

West Suffolk Hospital, Newmarket Community Hospital, Thetford Healthy Living Centre, Sudbury Health Centre

Ophthalmology

Retinal

8

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday

 West Suffolk Hospital

General

8

 Thursday - AM

 West Suffolk Hospital

Paediatrics

12

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday

 West Suffolk Hospital

Occular Motility

12

 Thursday

 West Suffolk Hospital

Oculoplastics

12

Monday, Thursday, Friday

 West Suffolk Hospital

Glaucoma

8

Tuesday, Wednesday

 West Suffolk Hospital

Corneal

40

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

 West Suffolk Hospital

Cataract

32

Tuesday, Wednesday

 West Suffolk Hospital

Orthopaedics

Shoulder & Elbow

28

 Tuesday - Friday

West Suffolk Hospital, Sudbury Health Centre, Newmarket Community Hospital

Hand & Wrist

32

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

Telephone Clinic, Thetford Healthy Living Centre, Newmarket Community Hospital

Hips

12

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

West Suffolk Hospital, Newmarket Community Hospital, Sudbury Health Centre

Knees

12

Monday - Friday

 West Suffolk Hospital, Newmarket Community Hospital, Sudbury Health Centre, Thetford Healthy Living Centre

Foot & Ankle

16

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

West Suffolk Hospital

Paediatrics

32

Tuesday

West Suffolk Hospital

Plastics

General

6

Monday - Friday

West Suffolk Hospital, Newmarket Community Hospital

Urology

Routine

24

Monday - Friday

West Suffolk Hospital, Newmarket Community Hospital, Thetford Healthy Living Centre

Vascular

Routine

52 plus

Monday - Thursday

West Suffolk Hospital

Cardiology

Routine

6

Monday - Friday All day 

West Suffolk Hospital

Dermatology

Routine

44

Monday - Friday 

All day

West Suffolk Hospital, Thetford Healthy Living Centre, Newmarket Community Hospital, Sudbury Health Centre, Haverhill

Paediatrics Routine

52 plus

Monday, Tuesday

West Suffolk Hospital

Diabetes

Routine

32

Monday - Friday

West Suffolk Hospital, Sudbury Health Centre, Newmarket Community Hospital

Endocrinology

Routine

40

Monday - Friday

West Suffolk Hospital

Gastroenterology

Routine

24

Monday - Saturday

West Suffolk Hospital, Sudbury Health Centre, Newmarket Community Hospital

Hepatology

Routine

20

Monday - Saturday

West Suffolk Hospital, Sudbury Health Centre, Newmarket Community Hospital

Nephrology

Routine

6

Monday - Friday

West Suffolk Hospital

Neurology

Routine

12

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

West Suffolk Hospital, Sudbury Health Centre, Thetford Healthy Living Centre, Botesdale

Pain Management

Routine

52 plus

 

 

Respiratory

Routine

40

Monday - Friday

West Suffolk Hospital

Rheumatology

Routine

6

Monday - Friday

West Suffolk Hospital, Newmarket Community Hospital, Thetford Health Living Centre, Sudbury Health Centre, Botesdale, Stowmarket,

Gynaecology

General

32

Monday - Thursday

West Suffolk Hospital, Thetford Healthy Living Centre

Menopause

36

 Monday

West Suffolk Hospital

Peri-menopause

0

 -

 -

Vulval

12

 Friday

 West Suffolk Hospital

Uro-gynae

40

Tuesday - Friday

 West Suffolk Hospital

Hysteroscopy

24

Tuesday, Wednesday

 West Suffolk Hospital

Paediatrics

General

16

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

 West Suffolk Hospital

Cardiology

24

Monday, Thursday, Friday

 West Suffolk Hospital

Respiratory

8

Monday

 West Suffolk Hospital

Allergy

52 plus

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

 West Suffolk Hospital

For more information click on the specialty name in the table which will take you to the relevant page on our website.


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 (sneewellbeing.org.uk).

 

What to do if your symptoms get worse

If your symptoms get worse while you are waiting for your appointment, test or operation, you should contact your GP or NHS 111 for advice.

For more information about the services that we have, please see our Services pages