About Wait or Pay

Who runs Wait or Pay

Wait or Pay was founded by Julian Jackson, a UK-based entrepreneur who has spent the past four years working in healthspan and longevity. He is co-founder and CEO of Livspan, the company behind Liv (opens in new tab), a longevity coaching platform.

The idea came from experience. Last year Julian needed a procedure for a back problem, and spent weeks trying to work out whether to wait on the NHS or pay privately: how long the NHS wait really was, which private options existed, what they cost, and whether paying for part of it would get him treated sooner. The information was all out there, but scattered across NHS data releases, hospital websites and price lists, and none of it was written for the patient. This year he went through it again, helping his father through an NHS wait for an operation. Wait or Pay puts all of it in one place, in plain English, so the next person doesn't have to piece it together alone.

Wait or Pay is independent. It is not part of the NHS, and it is not owned by, or paid by, any hospital, insurer or healthcare provider, including Liv. Nobody pays to appear on the site or to influence what it says.

Get in touch

Suggestions, problems or complaints? This goes straight to Julian's personal inbox, and he reads every message. Please don't include medical details.

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.

1. Stay with your local NHS. Free.
2. Pay for the diagnosis, wait for the operation, which the NHS still does free.
3. Switch to a faster NHS hospital. Free.
4. 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.

How we write the condition explainers

Alongside the wait data, each condition page carries a plain-English explainer: what the condition is, how it is usually treated, and what recovery involves. These are written in house at Wait or Pay, in plain language, and are sourced to the NHS. Each explainer links the NHS pages it draws on and shows the date it was last reviewed (currently September 2026), and we review the copy as the underlying NHS guidance changes.

The explainers are general information to help you navigate the system, not medical advice. No hospital, insurer or other provider pays to appear in them or has any say over what they say. Your GP or specialist is the right person to advise on your own situation.