Nasal polyp removal waiting times
How long the wait really is, what it looks like at your own hospital, and the honest routes through it — the NHS, a targeted private step, or going fully private.
Updated June 2026 · NHS RTT data
The national picture
Across England, half of Ear, Nose & Throat patients are treated within 25 weeks; the average is 29, and 1 in 5 wait longer than 52 weeks.
Pooled across 109 NHS trusts (13,637 patients). Source: NHS RTT, June 2026.
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Your three routes
We don't tell you which to pick — we give you the honest shape of each and let you decide.
Join the queue and wait. Nationally that's a median of about 25 weeks — and longer at many hospitals. Check yours above.
Best if cost is the main concern and waiting weeks or months is manageable.
Pay to be diagnosed sooner, then have the operation on the NHS. If you are already referred, this does not change your place in the queue.
Best if you want to save significant time with a targeted spend, without paying for everything privately.
Pay for everything, including the nasal polypectomy itself (typically £3,600–£6,500 for the surgical package), and skip the NHS wait entirely. The fastest route, and the most expensive.
Best if speed is critical and budget allows.
If a private consultation is what gets you referred, your NHS wait starts from that referral, not from when your symptoms began or when you first saw your GP. You lose nothing by going private first, because you had no NHS clock running to lose. But you do not gain a head start either. Ask your GP for an NHS referral at the same time, so the clock starts while you are being seen privately.
What it costs privately
A private nasal polypectomy is typically £3,600 to £6,500 — the all-in surgical package (surgeon, anaesthetist, theatre, hospital stay, follow-up). A private consultation to get there, and a scan if needed, are a few hundred pounds on top. If you pay for just the diagnosis, the nasal polypectomy itself stays free on the NHS.
Typical UK self-pay package prices, reviewed periodically.
How long is the private wait? Privately there is no formal waiting list. Allow about 4 to 7 weeks from your first consultation to treatment — against an NHS median of about 25 weeks in Ear, Nose & Throat.
Related conditions
See every NHS trust's nasal polyp removal wait, ranked fastest first →
Browse all NHS waiting times →
Common questions
Get your personalised plan
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