At a glance: 31,336 people were waiting for NHS treatment at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston in June 2026, spread across 14 specialties, and 47 of them had already waited more than a year. The hardest specialty to be seen quickly was cardiology — only 59% of patients seen within the 18-week target and a median wait of 14 weeks — while rheumatology was quickest at 97%.
Treatment waiting times at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston
| Specialty | People waiting | Seen within 18 weeks | Waiting over a year | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiology | 4,586 | 59% | 17 | 14 weeks |
| Gynaecology | 3,687 | 62% | 24 | 13 weeks |
| Gastroenterology | 977 | 65% | 0 | 10 weeks |
| ENT | 5,411 | 68% | 0 | 10 weeks |
| Trauma & orthopaedics | 1,696 | 68% | 2 | 12 weeks |
| Oral surgery | 2,555 | 70% | 0 | 11 weeks |
| Cardiothoracic surgery | 404 | 70% | 0 | 10 weeks |
| Neurology | 628 | 73% | 1 | 9 weeks |
| Respiratory medicine | 1,369 | 74% | 0 | 9 weeks |
| Ophthalmology | 6,790 | 76% | 3 | 7 weeks |
| General surgery | 111 | 77% | 0 | 8 weeks |
| Dermatology | 2,365 | 87% | 0 | 6 weeks |
| Elderly medicine | 201 | 91% | 0 | 6 weeks |
| Rheumatology | 556 | 97% | 0 | 4 weeks |
Diagnostic test waiting times at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston
| Test | People waiting | Waiting beyond 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Nerve conduction studies | 334 | 27% |
| Colonoscopy | 469 | 21% |
| Gastroscopy | 504 | 17% |
| Flexible sigmoidoscopy | 158 | 16% |
| Ultrasound | 4,933 | 12% |
| Sleep studies | 259 | 11% |
| MRI | 4,004 | 9% |
| Audiology | 1,349 | 8% |
| CT | 2,943 | 7% |
| DEXA scan | 640 | 4% |
| Echocardiography | 1,020 | 0% |
The six-week point is where the NHS counts a diagnostic wait as a breach; at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston the longest was nerve conduction studies, with 27% past it and 334 people in the queue.
Skip the 14-week wait
Waiting 14 weeks for cardiology at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston 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 University Hospitals Bristol and Weston? 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 cardiology 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.