About Wait or Pay
Why we exist
Millions of people are on an NHS waiting list without knowing how long they will actually wait, what their options are, or which of them cost anything. The information exists, but it is scattered across NHS datasets, provider registers and jargon most people never see. We put it in one place, for your hospital and your condition.
We are independent
- Not part of the NHS, and not affiliated with it.
- Not owned by any private hospital or insurer.
- Nobody pays us to send patients their way.
- We never sell your data.
Why there are always four paths
Most services that help you go faster show you one option: pay. We show four, in the same fixed order, every time.
- Stay with your local NHS. Free.
- Pay for the early steps, then have free NHS surgery.
- Switch to a faster NHS hospital. Free.
- Go fully private. You pay for everything.
Two of those are free. We do not rank them and we do not recommend one. We show what each costs and what it saves, and let you decide. If waiting is the right call for you, we say so.
Where the numbers come from
- Published NHS Referral to Treatment data for your hospital and specialty.
- NHS diagnostic waiting times.
- CQC ratings.
- The PHIN register of private providers.
Every figure is measured and sourced. Where we do not have a reliable number, we say so rather than estimating one.
Free, and what £19 buys
Seeing your real wait and your four paths is free and always will be. No account, no sign-up.
The £19 Action Plan is for people who have decided to act:
- Eight chapters built around your hospital, your condition and your wait.
- The faster hospitals named and ranked, with waits and driving routes from your postcode.
- The exact steps and prices to pay past the bottleneck.
- Two ready-to-send letters, pre-filled.
- 90 days with a personal guide on WhatsApp.
Going private for most conditions runs into thousands. Nineteen pounds tells you whether you need to spend any of it.