To see an NHS specialist, you usually need a referral from your GP. In England, if the referral is for non-urgent, consultant-led care, you have a legal right to start treatment within 18 weeks. If that is not possible, the NHS must take all reasonable steps to offer you a range of suitable alternative providers. You can also choose which hospital or service you are referred to.
The standard is that 92% of people should be waiting less than 18 weeks. At the end of August 2026, 65.2% were, across 7.4 million waits in England.
You can check average waits at your hospital on the NHS My Planned Care website. You can book and manage many referrals through the NHS e-Referral Service or the NHS App. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different targets and rules, covered below.
Figures and rules were checked on 3 November 2026.
The NHS website says you are entitled to ask for a referral. Whether you get one depends on what your GP thinks is clinically necessary. Your GP may suggest tests or treatments first.
Generally, you cannot refer yourself to a hospital specialist on the NHS. Sexual health clinics and A&E are the exceptions the NHS website gives.
When doctors write to each other about your care, they should aim to give you a copy. If you do not get one, you can ask.
Booking through the NHS e-Referral Service
Many first appointments are booked through the NHS e-Referral Service. You can book:
If you do not have your booking details, contact whoever referred you. You can also use Manage Your Referral to check, change or cancel an appointment.
In England, if you are referred for consultant-led treatment or to a mental health professional, you can choose:
This is a legal right, with exceptions. It only applies to providers with an NHS contract for the service. That can include private hospitals that provide NHS services. The NHS Choice Framework asks referrers to shortlist around five options where practical.
Before you choose, you and your GP can compare waiting times and Care Quality Commission (CQC) ratings in the e-Referral Service. The NHS website suggests weighing how long you will wait for a first appointment, how soon treatment could start, and how far you would need to travel.
The right does not apply in some situations. These include urgent or crisis care, onward referrals for a condition already being treated, and maternity services.
For ADHD and autism, this right is often called Right to Choose. See our guide to NHS Right to Choose for ADHD.
When the clock starts. When the hospital or service receives your referral letter, or when you book your first appointment through the e-Referral Service.
What can happen while it runs. Tests and scans, medicine or therapy to manage symptoms, or a referral to another consultant.
When it stops. When treatment starts, when a clinician decides no treatment is needed, or when you decide not to be treated. Agreeing to have your condition monitored, or receiving advice on managing it, can also count.
When the right does not apply. The NHS website lists these cases:
What it does not cover. The right does not include maternity services, public health services run by councils, or non-consultant-led mental health services. So mental health care that is not led by a consultant falls outside it.
If your operation is cancelled on the day. If it is cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons, you should be offered another binding date within 28 days, or have treatment funded at a time and hospital of your choice. If not, complain to your integrated care board (ICB).
NHS England publishes referral-to-treatment (RTT) figures every month. These are the figures for the end of August 2026, published on 8 October 2026:
Some points help when reading these numbers:
The targets. Full Fact, quoting NHS England's plans, reports a target of 65% under 18 weeks by March 2026, which was met nationally. The national target for 2026/27 is 70%. The plan is to reach 92% by March 2029.
If you are waiting to see a neurologist about headaches, our guide to migraine, tension and cluster headaches may help you describe your symptoms.
My Planned Care shows average waits. The NHS website says you could be seen sooner or wait longer than the figure shown, depending on your treatment and clinical needs.
If your symptoms get worse, contact the service named on your care plan or letter, or your GP. If you need help now and cannot reach your GP, use 111. In an emergency, call 999 or go to A&E. Some symptoms should never wait, such as the warning signs of a stroke.
You can ask to be referred to a different NHS provider if you have waited, or will wait, more than 18 weeks for non-urgent, consultant-led treatment or assessment. That applies to physical and mental health. If there is more than one option, you should be offered a choice.
You do not have this right if, for example:
To ask, contact the service treating you, or your ICB.
You can choose to see a specialist privately. The NHS website advises getting a referral letter from your GP even then. Your GP does not have to accept a private specialist's recommendations.
The 18-week right does not cover non-consultant-led mental health services. NHS England publishes autism waiting times separately; our guide to autism assessment in England and Ireland quotes them. For ADHD, our guide to what the adult ADHD wait in the UK looks like covers the routes.
Patient choice under the NHS Choice Framework applies in England only. Each nation sets its own targets, and the official statistics bodies say the headline figures are not directly comparable.
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
If you live in Ireland, see our guide to HSE outpatient waiting lists.
Can I find out my exact place on the waiting list?
Not from the published data. My Planned Care shows average waits at your hospital. For your own position, contact the provider using the details on your letter.
Can I refer myself to a specialist?
Generally not, on the NHS. The NHS website names sexual health clinics and A&E as exceptions.
Does the 18-week rule cover mental health?
Only consultant-led services. The NHS website says the right does not include non-consultant-led mental health services.
Can I change hospital if my wait is too long?
In England, often yes, if you have waited or will wait more than 18 weeks for consultant-led care. There are exceptions. Ask the service treating you, or your ICB.
This article is general information about how NHS waiting lists work in the UK. It is not medical or legal advice. Figures change monthly and rules differ by nation, so check with your GP, provider or health board before you act. For help with a complaint, contact PALS or your local Healthwatch in England.
Reviewed by: Proco Team
Last updated: November 2026