Plantar fasciitis treatment waiting times

How long the wait for plantar fasciitis treatment really is, what it looks like at your own hospital, and the routes through it: the NHS, a faster step, or private care.

Updated July 2026 · NHS RTT data

The national picture

Across England, half of Trauma & Orthopaedics patients are treated within 27 weeks; the average is 29, and 1 in 5 wait longer than 49 weeks.

Pooled across 118 NHS trusts (33,554 patients). Source: NHS RTT, July 2026.

Seen a different number elsewhere? Why every website gives a different NHS wait →

Your three routes

We don't tell you which to pick: we give you the honest shape of each and let you decide.

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

Private treatment cost varies with the procedure your consultant recommends, and is quoted before you commit.

Typical UK self-pay package prices, reviewed periodically.

Related conditions

See every NHS trust's plantar fasciitis treatment wait, ranked fastest first →

See NHS orthopaedics waiting times by hospital →

Browse all NHS waiting times →

Common questions

About plantar fasciitis treatment

What it is

Plantar fasciitis is pain under the heel and along the arch of the foot. It happens when the plantar fascia, the strong band of tissue that runs along the sole from the heel to the toes, becomes irritated or strained. The pain is usually worst with the first steps in the morning or after resting, and it tends to build up gradually rather than starting with a single injury. It is more common in people who are on their feet a lot, who have tight calf muscles, or who have recently increased how much they walk or run.

How it is usually treated

Most cases settle over several months with simple measures: rest, ice, supportive footwear, insoles or heel pads, calf and foot stretches, and painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. A physiotherapist can set out a tailored stretching and strengthening plan. If the pain carries on, a steroid injection or shockwave therapy is sometimes offered. Surgery is rarely needed and is only considered when severe pain has not improved after a long time with other treatments.

After treatment

Plantar fasciitis usually gets better, but it can be slow, often taking six months to a year to settle fully. Keeping up the stretches and wearing supportive shoes make the biggest difference, and staying a healthy weight reduces the load on the foot. If you have an injection, any relief may take a week or two to come on and does not always last. Flare-ups can return, so it helps to keep up the exercises once the pain has gone.

General information only, not medical advice. Your GP, consultant or physiotherapist will advise on your own situation.

Written by the Wait or Pay team and sourced to the NHS. Last reviewed September 2026.