At a glance: 37,660 people were waiting for NHS treatment at The Dudley Group in June 2026, spread across 15 specialties, and 20 of them had already waited more than a year. The hardest specialty to be seen quickly was neurology — only 49% of patients seen within the 18-week target and a median wait of 18 weeks — while elderly medicine was quickest at 91%.
Treatment waiting times at The Dudley Group
| Specialty | People waiting | Seen within 18 weeks | Waiting over a year | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neurology | 1,428 | 49% | 1 | 18 weeks |
| General surgery | 3,313 | 51% | 0 | 17 weeks |
| Oral surgery | 2,271 | 51% | 6 | 17 weeks |
| ENT | 4,766 | 60% | 0 | 15 weeks |
| Gynaecology | 3,475 | 61% | 7 | 13 weeks |
| Trauma & orthopaedics | 4,078 | 63% | 1 | 13 weeks |
| Plastic surgery | 1,930 | 65% | 1 | 10 weeks |
| Gastroenterology | 2,262 | 65% | 0 | 10 weeks |
| Ophthalmology | 4,730 | 66% | 4 | 11 weeks |
| Dermatology | 3,761 | 67% | 0 | 10 weeks |
| Urology | 1,658 | 71% | 0 | 9 weeks |
| Rheumatology | 866 | 85% | 0 | 8 weeks |
| Cardiology | 1,907 | 86% | 0 | 7 weeks |
| Respiratory medicine | 1,021 | 88% | 0 | 7 weeks |
| Elderly medicine | 194 | 91% | 0 | 6 weeks |
Diagnostic test waiting times at The Dudley Group
| Test | People waiting | Waiting beyond 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| DEXA scan | 799 | 30% |
| Ultrasound | 3,549 | 25% |
| Sleep studies | 730 | 24% |
| Echocardiography | 869 | 11% |
| Flexible sigmoidoscopy | 211 | 11% |
| Colonoscopy | 343 | 7% |
| Audiology | 335 | 6% |
| Gastroscopy | 352 | 6% |
| MRI | 2,147 | 5% |
| CT | 1,190 | 1% |
The six-week point is where the NHS counts a diagnostic wait as a breach; at The Dudley Group the longest was DEXA scan, with 30% past it and 799 people in the queue.
Skip the 18-week wait
Waiting 18 weeks for neurology at The Dudley Group 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 The Dudley Group? 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 neurology 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.