Kidney stones
Kidney stones (also called renal or ureteric calculi) are hard deposits that form in the kidneys and can cause severe pain as they pass. Read more about kidney stones →
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 urology wait, updated August 2026. Enter a postcode to see the hospitals near you.
urology waiting times by hospital
| Trust | Location | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|
| Isle of Wight NHS Trust | Isle of Wight | 3 weeks |
| Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | Cheshire West and Chester | 4 weeks |
| Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust | Reading | 4 weeks |
| Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust | Wiltshire | 5 weeks |
| Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust | North Yorkshire | 5 weeks |
| Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Blackpool | 5 weeks |
| West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | Watford | 5 weeks |
| Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Runnymede | 6 weeks |
About kidney stones
Kidney stones are hard lumps that can form in the kidneys when waste products in the urine build up and stick together. Small ones often pass out of the body in the urine without you knowing. Larger ones can get stuck and block the flow of urine, which causes sudden, severe pain in the side or lower tummy that comes in waves, sometimes with blood in the urine, feeling sick, or needing to pee more often. Severe pain, a high temperature or feeling very unwell needs urgent medical help.
How it is treated
A stone is usually confirmed with a scan, most often a low-dose CT of the kidneys, along with urine and blood tests. Many small stones are managed at home with plenty of fluids, painkillers and anti-sickness medicine while the stone passes, sometimes with a medicine to help it on its way. Larger stones, or ones that will not pass, are treated with a procedure: shockwave therapy to break the stone up from outside the body, or a telescope passed up to the stone to break it or remove it. The choice depends on the stone's size and position.
After treatment
Most people recover quickly once a stone passes or is treated, and are usually advised to drink plenty of fluids to help flush the system. Kidney stones can come back, so you may be given advice on diet and fluids to lower the chance, and sometimes a medicine. If a stone was sent for testing, the results can guide what to change. Go back for urgent help if severe pain returns, you cannot pass urine, or you develop a high temperature.
Sources: NHS: Kidney stones. 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.