At a glance: 39,649 people were waiting for NHS treatment at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals in June 2026, spread across 15 specialties, and 432 of them had already waited more than a year. The hardest specialty to be seen quickly was dermatology — only 54% of patients seen within the 18-week target and a median wait of 16 weeks — while ophthalmology was quickest at 91%.
Treatment waiting times at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals
| Specialty | People waiting | Seen within 18 weeks | Waiting over a year | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dermatology | 3,741 | 54% | 20 | 16 weeks |
| Neurology | 1,833 | 57% | 48 | 15 weeks |
| General medicine | 132 | 57% | 2 | 13 weeks |
| General surgery | 2,560 | 61% | 52 | 14 weeks |
| Gastroenterology | 3,335 | 62% | 38 | 11 weeks |
| Gynaecology | 6,202 | 62% | 67 | 13 weeks |
| Cardiology | 3,758 | 62% | 114 | 14 weeks |
| Trauma & orthopaedics | 6,762 | 64% | 19 | 12 weeks |
| Elderly medicine | 222 | 64% | 1 | 13 weeks |
| Urology | 2,012 | 67% | 14 | 11 weeks |
| Respiratory medicine | 1,317 | 69% | 33 | 9 weeks |
| Oral surgery | 2,130 | 71% | 10 | 11 weeks |
| ENT | 2,325 | 76% | 11 | 9 weeks |
| Rheumatology | 637 | 81% | 2 | 7 weeks |
| Ophthalmology | 2,683 | 91% | 1 | 6 weeks |
Diagnostic test waiting times at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals
| Test | People waiting | Waiting beyond 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Urodynamics | 233 | 35% |
| Colonoscopy | 799 | 35% |
| Flexible sigmoidoscopy | 202 | 29% |
| Gastroscopy | 684 | 28% |
| Cystoscopy | 306 | 16% |
| Audiology | 833 | 15% |
| Echocardiography | 319 | 5% |
| Nerve conduction studies | 76 | 3% |
| CT | 1,403 | 1% |
| Ultrasound | 7,556 | 1% |
| DEXA scan | 695 | 1% |
| MRI | 1,810 | 0% |
The six-week point is where the NHS counts a diagnostic wait as a breach; at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals the longest was urodynamics, with 35% past it and 233 people in the queue.
Skip the 16-week wait
Waiting 16 weeks for dermatology at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals is a long time to be in pain or limbo. Private cover can have you seen by a consultant in days rather than months. It will not pay for a condition you are already waiting on, so it only helps if arranged before a problem starts — compare cover, see whether it is worth it, or get a free quote now.
Frequently asked questions
Can private cover skip the waiting list at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals? Yes for a new problem, no for one you are already waiting to have treated — here is what private cover gets you over the NHS. For the national picture see dermatology waits across England or our NHS waiting-time guides.
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.