At a glance: 51,352 people were waiting for NHS treatment at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals in June 2026, spread across 14 specialties, and 194 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 95%.
Treatment waiting times at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals
| Specialty | People waiting | Seen within 18 weeks | Waiting over a year | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENT | 7,414 | 43% | 107 | 21 weeks |
| Neurology | 1,550 | 45% | 1 | 21 weeks |
| Cardiology | 5,153 | 49% | 18 | 18 weeks |
| Gastroenterology | 2,170 | 50% | 0 | 18 weeks |
| Oral surgery | 1,179 | 53% | 3 | 17 weeks |
| Dermatology | 3,731 | 58% | 2 | 15 weeks |
| Plastic surgery | 585 | 59% | 0 | 15 weeks |
| Trauma & orthopaedics | 5,874 | 61% | 16 | 14 weeks |
| Gynaecology | 5,247 | 61% | 18 | 14 weeks |
| General surgery | 4,575 | 64% | 22 | 13 weeks |
| Urology | 3,424 | 65% | 4 | 12 weeks |
| Ophthalmology | 8,002 | 80% | 3 | 8 weeks |
| Respiratory medicine | 1,864 | 87% | 0 | 7 weeks |
| Rheumatology | 584 | 95% | 0 | 5 weeks |
Diagnostic test waiting times at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals
| Test | People waiting | Waiting beyond 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible sigmoidoscopy | 390 | 67% |
| Colonoscopy | 675 | 57% |
| Audiology | 1,902 | 51% |
| MRI | 8,561 | 44% |
| Gastroscopy | 546 | 40% |
| Echocardiography | 1,621 | 22% |
| CT | 1,831 | 15% |
| Cystoscopy | 283 | 8% |
| Ultrasound | 5,873 | 6% |
| Nerve conduction studies | 334 | 2% |
| Sleep studies | 146 | 1% |
| DEXA scan | 195 | 0% |
The six-week point is where the NHS counts a diagnostic wait as a breach; at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals the longest was flexible sigmoidoscopy, with 67% past it and 390 people in the queue.
Skip the 21-week wait
Waiting 21 weeks for ENT at Sandwell and West Birmingham 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 Sandwell and West Birmingham 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.