Elderly medicine covers the complex health needs of older adults. At the end of June 2026, 25,989 people in England were waiting for elderly medicine treatment. Just 83% were seen within the 18-week target, and 96 had already waited more than a year — the sort of queue private treatment can skip for anything you are not already being treated for.
Where elderly medicine waits are worst
| NHS trust | People waiting | Seen within 18 weeks | Waiting over a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nottingham University Hospitals | 1,164 | 54% | 65 |
| Liverpool University Hospitals | 1,105 | 55% | 0 |
| Mid Yorkshire Teaching | 436 | 59% | 0 |
| Manchester University | 657 | 61% | 0 |
| North Cheshire and Mersey | 385 | 62% | 1 |
| Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals | 222 | 64% | 1 |
| University Hospitals Sussex | 159 | 66% | 6 |
| Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals | 329 | 67% | 0 |
| Salisbury | 277 | 68% | 0 |
| United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals | 384 | 69% | 1 |
| Imperial College Healthcare | 306 | 69% | 0 |
| North Cumbria Integrated Care | 287 | 71% | 0 |
The 18-week target is the point at which the NHS says treatment should have started. In the trusts above, most elderly medicine patients had already waited longer.
Skip the queue with private treatment
Nobody wants to spend months on an elderly medicine waiting list. Private cover can have you seen by a consultant in days, not months. It will not pay for a condition you are already waiting on, so arrange it before a problem starts — compare cover, see if it is worth it, or get a free quote.
Frequently asked questions
What does private elderly medicine cost? Private hospitals publish self-pay prices, and cover pays for treatment arranged before symptoms begin.
Can I switch to private care once I am on the NHS list? You can pay privately at any time, but insurance will not cover a condition you are already waiting to have treated — that is why cover is worth arranging while you are well.
Source: NHS England Referral to Treatment (RTT) and Diagnostics (DM01) waiting-times statistics, June 2026; self-pay figures from UK private hospitals’ own published price lists. Waiting-list figures change monthly.