The 18-week standard
NHS England's Referral to Treatment (RTT) standard requires that 92% of patients on an incomplete pathway should have been waiting no more than 18 weeks. This standard has been under pressure since 2020.
The clock starts from the date your referral is received by the hospital — not the date of your appointment letter and not the date you first saw your GP.
Waits by urgency
Routine referral — up to 18 weeks is the standard. Contact the hospital if you have heard nothing within three weeks of the referral being sent.
Two-week wait referral — you should be contacted within days and seen within 14 days. If you have not been contacted within one week, call the hospital directly.
If your right has not been met
If you have been waiting more than 18 weeks and have not started treatment, you are entitled to ask to be transferred to a provider that can see you sooner — at no cost to you. See our full guide on RTT rights and what you're entitled to, or read our step-by-step guide on how to chase your referral.