Hammer toe
A hammer toe is a smaller toe bent at the middle joint so it curls downwards. It is often eased with roomier shoes and padding, with a small operation to straighten it if it stays painful. Read more about hammer toe →
If symptoms are sudden, severe or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111.
Where are you up to?
The NHS reports waiting times by specialty, not by individual condition, so this is the orthopaedics wait (not specific to hammer toe), updated August 2026. Enter a postcode to see the hospitals near you.
orthopaedics waiting times by hospital
| Trust | Location | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust | Reading | 5 weeks |
| Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust | Bath and North East Somerset | 12 weeks |
| Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Liverpool | 13 weeks |
| George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust | Nuneaton and Bedworth | 13 weeks |
| South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust | Warwick | 14 weeks |
| University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | Birmingham | 15 weeks |
| South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Middlesbrough | 15 weeks |
| University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Camden | 16 weeks |
About hammer toe
A hammer toe is a smaller toe that's become bent at the middle joint, so it curls downwards instead of lying flat. It often rubs in shoes, where it can form corns or calluses. It's linked to footwear, foot shape and conditions like arthritis, and tends to get stiffer over time.
How it is treated
The first steps are roomier shoes with a deep, wide toe area, soft pads or splints to take pressure off the toe, and trimming any corns or calluses. If the toe stays painful or becomes fixed, a small day-case operation can straighten it, either reshaping the joint so some movement is kept or fusing it straight, sometimes with a temporary wire to hold the toe while it heals.
After treatment
Footwear changes and padding keep many hammer toes comfortable without surgery. After an operation, any wire is usually removed at around 4 to 6 weeks, and it can take a few months for the swelling to settle and the toe to feel normal in shoes.
Sources: NHS (North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust): Hammer toe surgery. Last updated October 2026.
General information only, not medical advice. Wait or Pay is independent and is not the NHS. Your GP decides what care, if any, you need.