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NHS England's August 2026 RTT release shows 7.4 million treatments waiting, up from 7.33 million in July. The median wait rose from 12.0 to 12.2 weeks and the 92nd percentile from 38.4 to 38.8 weeks. Pathways waiting more than a year rose to 113,339, from 111,379.
- ✓The waiting list stood at 7.37 million treatments at the end of August 2026, its highest since October 2025 but slightly below August 2025.
- ✓The median wait rose from 12.0 to 12.2 weeks, and rose in most of the specialties we track.
- ✓Pathways waiting over 52 weeks rose from 111,379 to 113,339, and over 65 weeks from 9,095 to 10,782.
The headline numbers, July to August
Our last analysis covered the July 2026 release. Here is how the August figures, published 8 October 2026, compare. All figures are national, commissioner basis. The list size and long-wait counts include NHS England's estimates for trusts that did not submit data.
| Measure | July 2026 | August 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Treatments waiting | 7.33 million | 7.37 million |
| Median wait | 12.0 weeks | 12.2 weeks |
| 92nd percentile (1 in 12) | 38.4 weeks | 38.8 weeks |
| Waiting over 52 weeks | 111,379 | 113,339 |
| Waiting over 65 weeks | 9,095 | 10,782 |
| Waiting within 18 weeks | 65.4% | 65.2% |
These are small movements, and one month is not a trend. The longer view is steadier. At 7.37 million, the list is at its highest since October 2025, but still slightly below August 2025, when it stood at 7.40 million. NHS England's press notice says the share waiting up to 18 weeks was 4.2 percentage points higher than a year earlier. The number of people waiting more than two years was 222, down from 235 in July.
Where waits moved by specialty
Medians rose in most of the specialties on our waiting times tracker. ENT and oral surgery saw the largest rises. Neurology was the only one to fall, and urology was unchanged.
| Specialty | Median, July 2026 | Median, August 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Oral surgery | 15.9 weeks | 16.4 weeks |
| ENT | 14.8 weeks | 15.4 weeks |
| Gynaecology | 13.8 weeks | 14.2 weeks |
| Trauma & orthopaedics | 13.5 weeks | 13.8 weeks |
| Neurology | 13.4 weeks | 13.2 weeks |
| General surgery | 12.6 weeks | 12.8 weeks |
| Urology | 12.2 weeks | 12.2 weeks |
| Cardiology | 11.7 weeks | 11.9 weeks |
| Gastroenterology | 10.9 weeks | 11.0 weeks |
| Dermatology | 10.2 weeks | 10.5 weeks |
| Ophthalmology | 10.2 weeks | 10.4 weeks |
| Mental health | 8.2 weeks | 8.5 weeks |
The long tails also edged up in the surgical specialties. In trauma and orthopaedics, 1 in 12 patients had waited 41.7 weeks or more (41.5 in July). In ENT it was 41.3 weeks (40.9), and in oral surgery 43.1 weeks (42.6). Ophthalmology went the other way, with its 92nd percentile falling from 33.2 to 32.4 weeks.
Why the median rose in August
Part of the answer is how many people joined the list. In July, 1,985,434 new pathways started. In August the figure was 1,717,335, around 268,000 fewer. New referrals start with very short waits, so when fewer of them arrive, the middle of the queue shifts towards longer waits. That can lift the median even if the pace of treatment does not change. August is a holiday month, and a lower number of new referrals is not unusual.
At the back of the queue, the year-plus count rose by 1,960 nationally. It did not rise everywhere. In trauma and orthopaedics, the year-plus count in submitted data was 19,741, slightly below July. As we described in the 1-in-12 problem, the long tail moves slowly in both directions.
Waiting longer than you'd like?
What this means if you're on the list
For most people joining the list now, the typical wait is still about three months from referral to treatment. August's rise is small, and the summer's earlier fall has not been reversed. If you have been waiting a long time, it is worth knowing your 18-week rights and asking about choice of provider. You can also compare self-pay and insurance routes. Private timelines are typically a consultation within days, diagnostics in one to two weeks and routine surgery in two to six weeks. These are indicative, not guaranteed.
If you are deciding whether to wait or go private, it helps to look at your own specialty rather than the national figure. The gap between specialties is wider than any change from one month to the next. A median of 8.5 weeks in mental health and 16.4 weeks in oral surgery are very different waits. The 92nd percentile is often the more useful figure if you are worried about ending up at the back of the queue, because it shows how long the slowest 1 in 12 have already waited.
NHS England's next monthly release will cover September 2026. The waiting times tracker is updated with each release.
Frequently asked questions
What did the August 2026 NHS waiting times data show?
The August 2026 RTT release, published 8 October 2026, showed 7.4 million treatments waiting and a median wait of 12.2 weeks. The 92nd percentile was 38.8 weeks, and 113,339 pathways had waited more than a year. Most measures were slightly higher than in July.
Did the NHS waiting list go up in August 2026?
Yes, slightly. Including NHS England's estimates for trusts that did not report, the list rose from 7.33 million pathways in July to 7.37 million in August. Some patients are on more than one pathway. NHS England estimates the number of unique patients at around 6.2 million.
Why did the NHS median wait rise in August 2026?
Fewer new pathways started in August than in July, around 1.72 million against 1.99 million. New referrals start with short waits, so fewer of them shifts the middle of the queue towards longer waits. The rise from 12.0 to 12.2 weeks is small, and one month is not a trend.
Which specialty had the longest median wait in August 2026?
Of the specialties we track, oral surgery had the longest median wait in August 2026 at 16.4 weeks, followed by ENT at 15.4 weeks. Plastic surgery had the longest tail, with 1 in 12 patients waiting 44.1 weeks or more.