At a glance: 32,693 people were waiting for NHS treatment at North Bristol in June 2026, spread across 13 specialties, and 46 of them had already waited more than a year. The hardest specialty to be seen quickly was rheumatology — only 62% of patients seen within the 18-week target and a median wait of 13 weeks — while elderly medicine was quickest at 100%.
Treatment waiting times at North Bristol
| Specialty | People waiting | Seen within 18 weeks | Waiting over a year | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rheumatology | 1,216 | 62% | 0 | 13 weeks |
| Trauma & orthopaedics | 6,256 | 63% | 16 | 12 weeks |
| Neurology | 3,563 | 63% | 0 | 13 weeks |
| Gynaecology | 5,607 | 67% | 8 | 11 weeks |
| Cardiology | 2,384 | 69% | 0 | 10 weeks |
| Plastic surgery | 2,344 | 70% | 20 | 9 weeks |
| General surgery | 668 | 72% | 1 | 10 weeks |
| Urology | 5,575 | 75% | 0 | 9 weeks |
| Dermatology | 2,761 | 75% | 0 | 7 weeks |
| Neurosurgery | 1,168 | 80% | 0 | 8 weeks |
| Gastroenterology | 433 | 88% | 1 | 3 weeks |
| Respiratory medicine | 611 | 98% | 0 | 3 weeks |
| Elderly medicine | 107 | 100% | 0 | 3 weeks |
Diagnostic test waiting times at North Bristol
| Test | People waiting | Waiting beyond 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible sigmoidoscopy | 187 | 13% |
| DEXA scan | 672 | 11% |
| Gastroscopy | 559 | 11% |
| Colonoscopy | 607 | 7% |
| Echocardiography | 1,548 | 1% |
| Nerve conduction studies | 118 | 1% |
| MRI | 3,179 | 0% |
| CT | 1,728 | 0% |
| Ultrasound | 4,785 | 0% |
| Urodynamics | 200 | 0% |
| Cystoscopy | 283 | 0% |
The six-week point is where the NHS counts a diagnostic wait as a breach; at North Bristol the longest was flexible sigmoidoscopy, with 13% past it and 187 people in the queue.
Skip the 13-week wait
Waiting 13 weeks for rheumatology at North Bristol 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 North Bristol? 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 rheumatology 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.