At a glance: 32,203 people were waiting for NHS treatment at Royal Berkshire in June 2026, spread across 14 specialties, and 26 of them had already waited more than a year. The hardest specialty to be seen quickly was ENT — only 81% of patients seen within the 18-week target and a median wait of 10 weeks — while respiratory medicine was quickest at 91%.
Treatment waiting times at Royal Berkshire
| Specialty | People waiting | Seen within 18 weeks | Waiting over a year | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENT | 3,354 | 81% | 6 | 10 weeks |
| Plastic surgery | 303 | 81% | 1 | 9 weeks |
| Gastroenterology | 3,819 | 82% | 2 | 9 weeks |
| Cardiology | 3,315 | 82% | 1 | 9 weeks |
| Gynaecology | 2,900 | 83% | 3 | 9 weeks |
| Urology | 2,276 | 85% | 3 | 8 weeks |
| Ophthalmology | 5,358 | 85% | 2 | 9 weeks |
| General surgery | 2,925 | 86% | 2 | 9 weeks |
| Dermatology | 2,422 | 86% | 4 | 7 weeks |
| Trauma & orthopaedics | 2,072 | 87% | 2 | 9 weeks |
| Oral surgery | 489 | 87% | 0 | 7 weeks |
| Rheumatology | 579 | 87% | 0 | 7 weeks |
| Neurology | 947 | 89% | 0 | 7 weeks |
| Respiratory medicine | 1,444 | 91% | 0 | 7 weeks |
Diagnostic test waiting times at Royal Berkshire
| Test | People waiting | Waiting beyond 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| MRI | 3,293 | 23% |
| Ultrasound | 3,492 | 19% |
| Echocardiography | 417 | 18% |
| Gastroscopy | 322 | 15% |
| Colonoscopy | 264 | 10% |
| Audiology | 392 | 9% |
| Sleep studies | 404 | 8% |
| Flexible sigmoidoscopy | 118 | 8% |
| CT | 1,506 | 7% |
| Urodynamics | 74 | 0% |
The six-week point is where the NHS counts a diagnostic wait as a breach; at Royal Berkshire the longest was MRI, with 23% past it and 3,293 people in the queue.
Skip the 10-week wait
Waiting 10 weeks for ENT at Royal Berkshire 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 Royal Berkshire? 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.