At a glance: 26,156 people were waiting for NHS treatment at James Paget University Hospitals in June 2026, spread across 14 specialties, and 925 of them had already waited more than a year. The hardest specialty to be seen quickly was ENT — only 43% of patients seen within the 18-week target and a median wait of 21 weeks — while rheumatology was quickest at 87%.
Treatment waiting times at James Paget University Hospitals
| Specialty | People waiting | Seen within 18 weeks | Waiting over a year | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENT | 3,557 | 43% | 437 | 21 weeks |
| Neurology | 2,234 | 45% | 53 | 20 weeks |
| Urology | 1,797 | 49% | 87 | 18 weeks |
| Cardiology | 1,574 | 51% | 69 | 17 weeks |
| Oral surgery | 901 | 55% | 4 | 16 weeks |
| Gastroenterology | 1,570 | 55% | 71 | 15 weeks |
| General surgery | 3,348 | 63% | 31 | 12 weeks |
| Ophthalmology | 3,158 | 63% | 83 | 12 weeks |
| Plastic surgery | 148 | 63% | 0 | 13 weeks |
| Gynaecology | 2,097 | 65% | 75 | 11 weeks |
| Trauma & orthopaedics | 2,144 | 70% | 14 | 9 weeks |
| Respiratory medicine | 1,071 | 73% | 0 | 11 weeks |
| Dermatology | 1,961 | 74% | 1 | 8 weeks |
| Rheumatology | 596 | 87% | 0 | 8 weeks |
Diagnostic test waiting times at James Paget University Hospitals
| Test | People waiting | Waiting beyond 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Cystoscopy | 82 | 87% |
| MRI | 3,553 | 54% |
| Gastroscopy | 291 | 49% |
| Colonoscopy | 330 | 36% |
| Audiology | 293 | 24% |
| Ultrasound | 1,965 | 18% |
| Echocardiography | 556 | 16% |
| Flexible sigmoidoscopy | 105 | 15% |
| Sleep studies | 99 | 4% |
| CT | 727 | 2% |
| DEXA scan | 108 | 1% |
The six-week point is where the NHS counts a diagnostic wait as a breach; at James Paget University Hospitals the longest was cystoscopy, with 87% past it and 82 people in the queue.
Skip the 21-week wait
Waiting 21 weeks for ENT at James Paget 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 James Paget 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 ENT 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.