Checked on 10 October 2026 against the NHS guide to waiting times in England, NHS inform (Scotland), GOV.WALES, My Waiting Times NI and NICE guidance. Waiting times change month to month, so always check the official pages for your area.
Your first five steps after being referred
- Make sure the referral has actually been made. Ask your GP surgery which service you were referred to, whether it was marked routine or urgent, and when it was sent.
- Book or confirm the appointment. In England, many first appointments are booked through the NHS e-Referral Service using the details in your appointment request letter. If you have not heard anything within a few weeks, contact the hospital's booking or appointments team.
- Check the expected wait on the official site for your nation (see below), rather than relying on word of mouth.
- Start a simple symptom record so you can show how things change while you wait.
- Keep doing what helps. Most of the treatments with the best evidence for osteoarthritis, such as exercise and weight management, do not need a hospital appointment to start.
Your waiting time rights in each UK nation
Each nation runs its own NHS, so the rules are different. This is a summary; follow the links for full details.
| Nation | What the rules say | Where to check waits |
|---|---|---|
| England | You have a legal right to start non-urgent, consultant-led treatment within a maximum of 18 weeks from when your referral is received or your appointment is booked through the e-Referral Service. If you are likely to wait longer, you can ask to be offered a different provider. | My Planned Care website |
| Scotland | Standards of 12 weeks for a new outpatient appointment and 18 weeks from referral to treatment, plus a legal 12-week Treatment Time Guarantee for planned inpatient and day-case treatment (such as a hip or knee replacement) once you and your clinician have agreed it. | NHS inform waiting times pages |
| Wales | The Welsh Government target is for 95% of patients to start treatment within 26 weeks of referral, with no one waiting more than 36 weeks. Official statistics show these targets are not currently being met. | GOV.WALES NHS activity and performance statistics; your health board |
| Northern Ireland | Patients are seen in order of clinical priority (red flag, urgent or routine). There is no legal maximum wait like England's 18 weeks, and published waits for many specialties are long. | My Waiting Times NI, by Trust and specialty |
When the 18-week right does not apply (England)
The NHS explains that the 18-week right does not apply if you choose to wait longer, if delaying is in your best clinical interests (for example, losing weight or stopping smoking before an operation), if it is appropriate to monitor your condition for a time, if you miss appointments you chose from reasonable options, or if treatment is no longer needed.
Your clock also stops when treatment starts. That can include starting a medicine, being fitted for a device, agreeing to a period of monitoring, or receiving advice on managing your condition, not only having an operation.
Using your right to choose (England)
When a GP refers you, in most cases you have the legal right to choose which hospital or service you go to, including many private hospitals that treat NHS patients, as long as it does not cost the NHS more. You can also choose a consultant-led team that provides the treatment you need.
- Tell your GP about your preferences at the time of referral, because they choose the shortlist of hospitals in your letter.
- Compare waits on My Planned Care. Remember that a shorter average wait does not guarantee you will be seen sooner.
- Think about travel. A hospital further away may be quicker, but follow-up visits, scans and physiotherapy may also be there.
- If you were not offered a choice, raise it first with the person who referred you, then with your local integrated care board (ICB).
In Northern Ireland, Trusts point out that moving to another hospital does not always mean being seen sooner and can mean repeating tests. Ask the service before switching.
Keep a symptom record
A short weekly record is one of the most useful things you can do. It helps you notice changes, it gives your GP clear reasons to review the referral, and it makes your first specialist appointment more productive.
Each week, note:
- pain, stiffness and fatigue, each scored from 0 to 10
- how long morning stiffness lasts
- which joints are swollen, hot or painful (a simple body outline works well)
- what you could not do this week, such as walking to the shop, opening jars or sleeping through
- medicines you took, including over-the-counter painkillers, and whether they helped
- time off work or missed activities
Photographs of swollen joints taken on a bad day are useful, because swelling may have settled by the time you are seen.
What you can do while you wait
Keep moving
NICE says the core treatments for osteoarthritis are therapeutic exercise and, where appropriate, weight management, along with information and support. Exercise is safe for most people with arthritis and does not need to wait for a specialist. Start gently, build up gradually, and expect some aching that settles within a day or so. Our exercise hub has joint-specific routines.
Get physiotherapy
The NHS says that in many areas you may be able to get physiotherapy from NHS community musculoskeletal (MSK) services without a GP referral. Some GP surgeries also have first contact physiotherapists who specialise in bone and joint problems. Check your local NHS or GP surgery website for self-referral. If you pay privately, the NHS advises choosing a chartered physiotherapist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Use pain relief safely
Ask a community pharmacist which over-the-counter options suit you, especially if you take other medicines or have stomach, kidney, heart or blood pressure problems. NICE suggests topical NSAID gels for knee osteoarthritis and considering them for other affected joints, before trying tablets. Do not keep increasing doses on your own; if you need painkillers most days, see your GP.
Protect sleep, work and mood
- Pace your activity across the week instead of doing everything on good days.
- Ask about workplace adjustments or a fit note if work is affected.
- Waiting can be stressful. If your mood is low, NHS Talking Therapies accepts self-referral in England. See our guide to arthritis and mental health.
- If your arthritis affects daily living or getting around, check whether you could get benefits such as PIP or, in Scotland, Adult Disability Payment.
Prepare for surgery early
If you are waiting for a joint replacement, the waiting time is a chance to get fitter for the operation. Strengthening exercises, stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol and managing weight, diabetes or blood pressure can all help you recover. See preparing for joint replacement.
If things get worse while you are waiting
Being on a waiting list does not mean you cannot get help in the meantime. Contact your GP surgery if:
- pain, stiffness or swelling are clearly getting worse
- new joints are becoming swollen or painful
- you are struggling to work, look after yourself or sleep
- painkillers are no longer controlling your symptoms
- you have new symptoms such as weight loss, rashes, eye problems or feeling generally unwell
Take your symptom record. Your GP can contact the hospital, send updated information or ask for the referral to be reprioritised. For suspected inflammatory arthritis, NICE's quality standard says adults with suspected persistent synovitis affecting more than one joint, or the small joints of the hands and feet, should be referred to rheumatology within 3 working days of seeing their GP. If you think you have inflammatory symptoms, such as swollen joints and morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, say so clearly.
If you are already under a rheumatology team, use their advice line. NICE's quality standard says adults with rheumatoid arthritis who have a flare or possible side effects should get advice within 1 working day of contacting rheumatology services.
Make sure you stay on the list
- Keep your details up to date. Tell your GP and the hospital if you move, change phone number or email.
- Reply to letters and texts. Hospitals sometimes contact people to check they still need an appointment. If you do not reply, you may be removed.
- Tell the hospital about dates you cannot attend, such as holidays, in advance.
- Accept reasonable offers if you can. Turning down appointments can affect your waiting time. In Scotland, guidance says refusing two reasonable offers can lead to a clinical review and your waiting time being reset.
- Ask to go on a cancellation list if you can attend at short notice.
Getting help with problems or delays
If you cannot get answers or you are unhappy with how your referral is being handled:
- England: contact the hospital's Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). You can complain to the provider or to your ICB, and then to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
- Scotland: the Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS), delivered by Citizens Advice Scotland, gives free independent help.
- Wales: Llais offers free, independent complaints advocacy.
- Northern Ireland: the Patient and Client Council gives free independent advocacy and support.
A polite, specific message usually works better than a general complaint. Include your NHS number, the date of referral, the service and what has changed since you were referred.
Get ready for your first appointment
When the letter finally arrives, you may only have a short consultation. A little preparation helps you use it well:
- Bring your symptom record and any photographs of swollen joints.
- List all your medicines, including doses, over-the-counter painkillers, supplements and anything you have stopped because it did not work or caused side effects.
- Note your family history, for example relatives with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease or gout.
- Write down your top three questions and put the most important one first. Our list of questions to ask your consultant can help.
- Wear loose clothing so the joints that trouble you can be examined easily.
- Bring someone with you if you can. A second pair of ears helps you remember what was said.
- Ask what happens next before you leave: tests, results, treatment, and who to contact if you have problems.
If you need adjustments to attend, such as step-free access, an interpreter or a longer appointment, contact the clinic before the day.
Should you go private?
Some people pay for a private consultation, scan or operation to avoid waiting. This is your choice, but think it through: costs can be substantial, follow-up care and medicines may not be included, and you may need to be referred back into the NHS for ongoing treatment. Read our guide to private treatment costs in the UK before you decide.
When to get medical help urgently
Do not wait for your hospital appointment if you have:
- sudden severe pain and swelling in one joint, a change in skin colour around it or difficulty moving it, especially if you feel unwell, hot, cold or shivery. This could be septic arthritis: ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111
- new back pain with numbness around your bottom or genitals, or problems controlling your bladder or bowels. Go to A&E or call 999
- a joint that suddenly becomes very deformed or you cannot bear any weight after a fall
- chest pain, breathlessness, or a painful swollen calf. Call 999
If you feel very unwell, call 999 or go to A&E.