At the end of September 2026, 47.2% of open trauma and orthopaedic pathways at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust were within 18 weeks, compared with 61.4% across England. At the two Birmingham trusts covered here, the figures were 65.0% at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and 77.1% at University Hospitals Birmingham.
September 2026 by NHS trust
| NHS trust or area | Open pathways | 18 weeks or less | Over 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcestershire Acute Hospitals | 5,581 | 47.2% | 200 |
| The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital | 11,112 | 65.0% | 54 |
| University Hospitals Birmingham | 4,986 | 77.1% | 1 |
| England | 830,089 | 61.4% | 19,769 |
How the waiting lists changed
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals. The list grew by 49 pathways from August and by 512 from September 2025. The share within 18 weeks rose from 42.0% a year earlier to 47.2%, while waits over a year increased from 177 to 200. In August, the trust had recorded 165 waits over a year.
The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. Waits over a year fell from 372 in September 2025 to 69 in August 2026 and 54 in September 2026, an 85.5% fall year on year. The share within 18 weeks rose from 59.8% a year earlier to 65.0%. The overall list grew by 45 pathways from August and was 198 smaller than a year earlier.
University Hospitals Birmingham. The share within 18 weeks remained above the England figure at 77.1%, down from 77.2% in August and 81.6% a year earlier. Open pathways rose by 279 over the month and by 1,341 over the year.
England. Open orthopaedic pathways fell 1.6% from August and 3.6% from a year earlier. The share within 18 weeks rose from 59.7% in September 2025 and 61.1% in August 2026 to 61.4% in September 2026.
| NHS trust or area | September 2025 | August 2026 | September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcestershire Acute Hospitals | 5,069 / 42.0% / 177 | 5,532 / 46.6% / 165 | 5,581 / 47.2% / 200 |
| The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital | 11,310 / 59.8% / 372 | 11,067 / 64.4% / 69 | 11,112 / 65.0% / 54 |
| University Hospitals Birmingham | 3,645 / 81.6% / 2 | 4,707 / 77.2% / 0 | 4,986 / 77.1% / 1 |
| England | 860,865 / 59.7% / 26,590 | 843,419 / 61.1% / 19,741 | 830,089 / 61.4% / 19,769 |
What these figures cover
Transform Medical analysed NHS England’s consultant-led referral-to-treatment figures for trauma and orthopaedics (specialty code C_110). We used the incomplete-pathways provider tables for the three named trusts and the national row in the incomplete-pathways commissioner tables for England. The September 2025 figures use the revised release.
Each pathway was still open at the end of the month. One person can have more than one pathway. The figures cover activity at the named trusts, including referrals from outside Birmingham and Worcestershire. Trusts can treat different mixes of patients and conditions. The figures do not estimate how long someone will wait for a specific operation such as a hip or knee replacement.
NHS England sources — September 2026 provider table, September 2026 England table, August 2026 tables and revised September 2025 tables.