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A&E data for September 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Diagnostics (DM01) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026

NHS waiting times in Plymouth

Waits near Plymouth at a glance

A&E – University Hospitals Plymouth NOT LIVE

2 in 3 (65.6%)

people at A&E were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours. At the main (type 1) A&E it was 4 in 10 (36.2%).

Official monthly figure for Sep 2026 · published 8 October 2026 · NHS England

Live waits are not published for Plymouth. Not sure you need A&E? Use NHS 111 online or call 111.

Nearby A&E and how Plymouth compares →

Other waits in Plymouth

Plymouth, Devon, is served mainly by University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. This page brings together the latest published NHS England figures for A&E, scans and tests, and planned hospital treatment at that trust, with trends and comparisons against the South West region and England.

Plymouth: local hospitals and referrals

  • Nearest University Hospitals Plymouth hospital: Mount Gould Hospital (PL4 7QD), about 1 mile from central Plymouth.
  • Usually referred to: patients in Plymouth are usually referred to University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, which runs the nearest major hospital. Your GP or referrer can tell you where you would go.
  • Nearest community diagnostic centre: Plymouth CDC (PL1 1TQ), under a mile away. Source: NHS England CDC activity data, Aug 2026.
  • Integrated care board: NHS Devon ICB.

A&E waiting times in Plymouth

65.6%of A&E attendances admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours (September 2026)
36.2%within 4 hours at the main (type 1) A&E
17,453A&E attendances in the month
588waited over 12 hours from decision to admit

In September 2026, 65.6% of the 17,453 people attending A&E at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours. That is 8.8 points below the England average of 74.4% and 6.2 points below the South West average of 71.8%. It ranks 100 of 120 trusts with a major A&E in England and 9 of 12 in South West (1 = highest share within 4 hours). At the main emergency department (type 1), 36.2% spent 4 hours or less, against 60.6% across England. 2,225 patients were admitted as emergencies through A&E, and 588 waited more than 12 hours from the decision to admit them to being admitted.

Over the last 13 months the 4-hour figure has ranged from 64.8% (August 2026) to 70.5% (November 2025); it is down 2.7 points since September 2025.

University Hospitals Plymouth: % within 4 hours of arrival63%67%71%75%79%Sep 25Nov 25Jan 26Mar 26May 26Jul 26Sep 26

University Hospitals Plymouth: % within 4 hours of arrival England

Full A&E page for Plymouth: 13-month history, nearby A&E departments and what to do if it is not an emergency.

Scan and test waiting times in Plymouth

Diagnostic waiting lists at University Hospitals Plymouth, end of August 2026
TestWaiting listWaiting under 6 weeksWaiting 13+ weeksEngland under 6 weeks
MRI2,20772.8%11878.0%
CT2,34669.3%9588.8%
Ultrasound4,06279.6%4878.3%
Endoscopy1,34572.9%3769.6%

Detailed pages: MRI scan waiting times in Plymouth · CT scan waiting times in Plymouth · Ultrasound waiting times in Plymouth · Endoscopy waiting times in Plymouth.

Waiting times for planned hospital treatment

NHS England’s referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026 has no figures for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. The trust may not have submitted a return for the month; its next return will appear here automatically.

ADHD and autism assessment waits in the local ICB area

ADHD: in June 2026 there were 16,715 open referrals that may be for an ADHD assessment in NHS Devon Integrated Care Board. 12,055 (72.1%) had been open for a year or more, compared with 57.8% across England. 13,150 had no first contact recorded yet. ADHD waits by area.

Autism: in June 2026, 12,275 people had an open suspected autism referral in this ICB area, and 11,225 (91.4%) had been waiting at least 13 weeks (England 86.8%). Autism waits by area.

NHS England counts open referrals that may be for ADHD. It describes these figures as management information and experimental statistics, so they are approximate and depend on how services record referrals. See also mental health waiting times.

Nearby towns

A&E performance at the main trust for the nearest towns on this site.

What these figures mean

The 4-hour A&E figure is the share of people who were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours of arriving. The NHS constitution standard is 95%. The diagnostics figures show how long people on the waiting list for a test had waited at the end of the month; the standard is that fewer than 1% wait 6 weeks or more. The referral to treatment (RTT) figures cover people waiting to start consultant-led treatment, against a standard of 92% within 18 weeks. These are averages for a whole trust and do not predict how long any one person will wait.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the A&E wait in Plymouth?

In September 2026, 65.6% of A&E attendances at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours, against 74.4% across England. 588 patients waited more than 12 hours from decision to admit. Actual waits depend on how urgent your condition is.

How long is the wait for an MRI scan in Plymouth?

At the end of August 2026, 72.8% of the 2,207 people waiting for an MRI scan at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust had waited under 6 weeks (England 78.0%).

How long is the wait for a CT scan in Plymouth?

At the end of August 2026, 69.3% of the 2,346 people waiting for a CT scan at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust had waited under 6 weeks (England 88.8%).

Which NHS trust serves Plymouth?

Plymouth is mapped to University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust on this site, based on the nearest major hospitals. Some patients may be treated by other trusts depending on where they live and are referred.

How often are these waiting times updated?

NHS England publishes A&E, diagnostics (DM01) and referral to treatment (RTT) statistics every month, usually on the second Thursday. A&E figures cover the previous month; diagnostics and RTT figures are a month further behind. This site refreshes when new files are published.