Stop Waiting

10/05/2026

We want to be clear about something — because we think it matters.

When patients don't get told about their full options for care, it isn't usually because their GP is being unhelpful. Most GPs are working incredibly hard under enormous pressure.

The reality is that awareness of rights varies. Referral systems are often pre-set to local NHS Trust pathways. And with around seven minutes per appointment, there isn't always time to explore every option - most importantly, where the shortest waiting times might be.

That's not a criticism. It's just a gap — and it's a gap that falls hardest on the patients who can least afford to wait.

Our job isn't to work against GPs. It's to make sure patients arrive at their appointment already knowing what they're entitled to, and where they want to go in order to be treated in the fastest possible timeframe — so the conversation can happen, even if it wouldn't have happened otherwise.

An informed patient and a well-meaning GP is usually all it takes.

👉 www.stopwaiting.co.uk

Rated 'Excellent' on TrustPilot.

09/05/2026

Most NHS Patients Don't Know.

Independent providers now deliver 26.3 per cent of all NHS planned trauma and orthopaedic activity — around 26,000 patient episodes every week.

One in four. Every week. NHS patients. No charge.

This is not a niche workaround or a last resort. It is the mainstream, week-in week-out reality of how NHS orthopaedic care is delivered in England in 2026.

A quarter of all hip replacements, knee replacements and trauma procedures funded by the NHS are being carried out in private hospitals.

The patients who access them are not special. They have not done anything complicated or unusual. They simply knew that the option existed, knew where the shorter waiting lists were and asked their GP to refer them there.

The patients who don't access them — the majority, still sitting on local NHS trust waiting lists, often for considerably longer — simply don't know. Or think it doesn't apply to them. Or it's too complicated. Or it's too good to be true.

If you are waiting for an orthopaedic procedure, in pain - this matters.

The independent sector is not a fringe option. It's not the enemy of the NHS. It is a substantial part of how the NHS delivers orthopaedic care in 2026.

You are entitled to access it. We make it easy.

👉 www.stopwaiting.co.uk

Rated 'Excellent' on TrustPilot.

08/05/2026

Wes Streeting Said: "Wealth Shouldn't Determine Health."

We agree with him.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: "I'll do everything I can to get NHS patients treated faster, free at the point of use. This is a principled, progressive position, not just a pragmatic one. We're not prepared to continue two-tier healthcare, when those who can afford it get treated on time, and those who can't are left behind. Wealth shouldn't determine health."

That is exactly right. And it is precisely the principle that NHS Patient Choice is built on.

A wealthy patient can pay for private treatment at the hospital of their choice, with the surgeon of their choice, at a time that suits them.

An NHS patient with no means to pay privately can — if they know how to go about it — access NHS-funded treatment at a private hospital, with significantly shorter waiting times, at no cost to them.

That gap — between those who know and those who don't — is what we want to close.

👉 www.stopwaiting.co.uk

Rated 'Excellent' on TrustPilot.

08/05/2026

New research shows patients are cutting their wait for an NHS operation by up to five months by switching to a nearby hospital with shorter queues.

Patients need to travel on average just under 13 miles to access this shorter wait.

Thirteen miles. That is, for most people, a straightforward car journey. And in return for that journey, a wait that is reduced by up to five months.

For context — five months on a waiting list for a hip or knee replacement is five months of disrupted sleep, reduced mobility, reliance on painkillers, and a life operating at a fraction of its usual capacity.

This isn't a theoretical benefit. A total of 6.15 million appointments, tests and operations were delivered by independent providers for NHS patients in one year — almost 500,000 more than the year before.

Six million people. Not people who went private. Not people who paid. NHS patients, treated in independent hospitals, free of charge, in less time.

They just knew how to ask and where to go. We make the process simple.

👉 www.stopwaiting.co.uk

24/04/2026

⭐ Feedback Friday ⭐

Another incredible story from one of our NHS patients this week…

Russell had been waiting months on the NHS for knee treatment before finding StopWaiting. With the right guidance, he was able to have both knees treated quickly — at a private hospital of his choice, with the same consultant throughout, and fully funded by the NHS.

He’s now back home recovering and on the road to getting back to the activities he enjoys — pain free.

Stories like this are exactly why we do what we do.

👉 If you’re stuck on a waiting list, you do have options.
👉 It’s simpler and quicker than you think.
👉 Treatment will not cost you anything.

Just ask — we’ll help you.

www.stopwaiting.co.uk

Rated EXCELLENT on Trustpilot for a reason!

Still waiting for your operation?You may have the right to be seen at a private hospital - fully paid for by the NHS. Most patients are never told, have no idea where the shortest waiting times are or

11/04/2026

Stuck on an NHS waiting list?

'Told to wait nearly a year… treated in just 3 weeks'.

It started with a 50-week waiting time from a local hospital — and a simple piece of advice from a family member: try StopWaiting. What happened next completely changed the outcome.

Within just one day of getting in touch, this patient received clear guidance on how to proceed, along with a range of alternative NHS-funded hospital options. Their GP agreed quickly, and within weeks, treatment was arranged — with excellent care and efficiency throughout.

Stories like this are exactly why we do what we do. Many patients don’t realise they have a legal right to choose where they’re treated, often with much shorter waiting times.

If you or a loved one are stuck on a long NHS waiting list, it may be worth exploring your options — you could be seen far sooner than you think.

Still waiting for your operation?You may have the right to be seen at a private hospital - fully paid for by the NHS. Most patients are never told, have no idea where the shortest waiting times are or

30/03/2026

We've been reporting on this for a while.. it just keeps getting worse 😢

Frontline doctors say the reality on the ground is already strained

20/03/2026

Stuck on an NHS waiting list?

Nothing makes us happier than hearing how quickly people are able to access the care they need when we help them 🙌

Every week, we’re proud to help patients avoid long waits and get back to living their lives sooner, without paying for private healthcare — and this kind of feedback is exactly why we do what we do.

Here’s what Tony had to say this week after using StopWaiting 👇

If you've been told you'll wait many months or even years for your hip, knee or other NHS procedure, you're not alone.For many people, a long wait is painful and life-limiting.What most

27/02/2026

If you’re still sitting on a waiting list thinking “that’s just how it is”, it might be time to rethink that.

One of our recent clients had been fobbed off for months. Within days of getting in touch, they had a specialist appointment, an NHS-funded referral to a private hospital, and now they’re having their knee replacement after just a 7-week wait.

The NHS absolutely allows this. Most people just don’t realise it.

If you’re prepared to wait indefinitely, that’s your choice. But if you’d rather understand your options and move things forward, it’s worth having a conversation..

20/02/2026

💙 Friday Feedback 💙

We never take messages like this for granted. Knowing that we’ve been there for someone at exactly the right moment — when they felt stuck, worried, or unsure what to do next — is why StopWaiting exists.

If you’re currently on an NHS waiting list and feeling frustrated, please know there are options. Sometimes a small step, the right question, or the right guidance can make an enormous difference.

Here’s what one of our lovely clients shared with us this week 👇

If our service has helped you too, we’d love to hear your story. And if you’re still waiting — don’t do it alone.