Trauma and orthopaedics covers joint replacements, fractures, spinal problems and sports injuries. At the end of June 2026, 635,535 people in England were waiting for trauma & orthopaedics treatment. Just 58% were seen within the 18-week target, and 17,632 had already waited more than a year — the sort of queue private treatment can skip for anything you are not already being treated for.
Where trauma & orthopaedics waits are worst
| NHS trust | People waiting | Seen within 18 weeks | Waiting over a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid and South Essex | 13,260 | 31% | 2,523 |
| University Hospitals of Leicester | 11,874 | 40% | 832 |
| Bedfordshire Hospitals | 6,749 | 42% | 334 |
| Dorset County Hospital | 3,483 | 43% | 200 |
| East Kent Hospitals University | 8,100 | 45% | 243 |
| Great Western Hospitals | 5,682 | 46% | 235 |
| The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital | 2,249 | 48% | 0 |
| Wye Valley | 3,637 | 48% | 319 |
| East and North Hertfordshire Teaching | 4,609 | 48% | 183 |
| University Hospitals Sussex | 7,525 | 48% | 373 |
| Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals | 9,210 | 49% | 866 |
| Royal Cornwall Hospitals | 5,624 | 49% | 330 |
The 18-week target is the point at which the NHS says treatment should have started. In the trusts above, most trauma & orthopaedics patients had already waited longer.
Skip the queue with private treatment
Nobody wants to spend months on a trauma & orthopaedics waiting list. A self-pay hip replacement costs around £16,225, and cover pays for treatment like it in full, usually within weeks. It will not pay for a condition you are already waiting on, so arrange it before a problem starts — compare cover, see if it is worth it, or get a free quote.
Frequently asked questions
What does private trauma & orthopaedics cost? A common trauma & orthopaedics procedure such as hip replacement costs around £16,225 self-pay, and private medical insurance covers it when arranged before symptoms begin.
Can I switch to private care once I am on the NHS list? You can pay privately at any time, but insurance will not cover a condition you are already waiting to have treated — that is why cover is worth arranging while you are well.
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.