Find out about referrals on the My Planned Care website.
NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) has been reviewing equity of access to services for patients and making best use of our resources across the local system. An output from this work is confirming that, for all referrals received on or after 1 November 2025, a minimum waiting time of 12 weeks will be applied across all elective specialties for Independent Sector Providers (ISPs) commissioned to deliver NHS-funded care.
This extends existing minimum waiting time standards, which are already in place for a number of our specialties; Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, and General Surgery, to all remaining elective specialties, ensuring a consistent and fair approach to elective care delivery across Greater Manchester.