Lumbar decompression surgery is an operation on the lower spine to relieve symptoms of compressed nerves, such as pain, tingling or numbness in the legs. It may be needed for spinal stenosis, sciatica or a slipped disc, usually after other treatments such as physiotherapy or steroid injections have been tried.
Hospital-level numbers for this operation are not published as open data. This page shows NHS waiting times for trauma and orthopaedics and, because an MRI scan is usually part of the assessment, how long people are waiting for MRI scans.
Hospitals in Yorkshire and the Humber
14 trusts in Yorkshire and the Humber with published figures. Sorted by name. This is not a ranking: read how to read this first.
Hospital-level numbers for this specific operation are not published as open data. The activity column is context only: it shows the trust's overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V (bones and joints of the skull and spine) in 2025-26, from Hospital Episode Statistics, in bands. It covers many other procedures as well as this one, it is for the whole trust rather than one hospital, and it does not include private patients. It is not a count of this operation.
| Trust | Trust activity (context)Trust's overall NHS-funded activity, OPCS-4 chapter V (bones and joints of the skull and spine), 2025-26 (HES). Context only | Key outcomeNo hospital-level outcome data published | Waiting timeWhole trust | Patient experience | CQC rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airedale NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Airedale General Hospital | Not published | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 10.5 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 66.2% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)4.5% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.5 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Airedale General Hospital) |
| Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Barnsley Hospital | Fewer than 150Trust’s overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V, 2025-26. Context only, not a count of this operation. | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 15.2 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 58% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)0.5% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.5 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Good (CQC report for Barnsley Hospital) |
| Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Bradford Royal Infirmary, St Luke’s Hospital | 150 to 399Trust’s overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V, 2025-26. Context only, not a count of this operation. | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 14.7 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 59.1% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)0.5% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.1 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Bradford Royal Infirmary: Good (CQC report for Bradford Royal Infirmary) St Luke's Hospital: Good (CQC report for St Luke's Hospital) |
| Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Calderdale Royal Hospital, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary | Fewer than 150Trust’s overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V, 2025-26. Context only, not a count of this operation. | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 11.1 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 72.2% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)7.6% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Calderdale Royal Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Calderdale Royal Hospital) Huddersfield Royal Infirmary: Good (CQC report for Huddersfield Royal Infirmary) |
| Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Montagu Hospital, Mexborough | 400 to 999Trust’s overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V, 2025-26. Context only, not a count of this operation. | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 17.1 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 52% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)50.1% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.4 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Doncaster Royal Infirmary: Requires improvement (CQC report for Doncaster Royal Infirmary) Montagu Hospital, Mexborough: Requires improvement (CQC report for Montagu Hospital, Mexborough) |
| Harrogate and District NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Harrogate District Hospital | Not published | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 13.2 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 62.5% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)24.6% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Good (CQC report for Harrogate District Hospital) |
| Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Castle Hill Hospital, Hull Royal Infirmary | 1,000 or moreTrust’s overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V, 2025-26. Context only, not a count of this operation. | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 13.4 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 60.8% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)30.4% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Castle Hill Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Castle Hill Hospital) Hull Royal Infirmary: Requires improvement (CQC report for Hull Royal Infirmary) |
| Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds General Infirmary, Seacroft Hospital, St James’s University Hospital, Wharfedale Hospital | 1,000 or moreTrust’s overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V, 2025-26. Context only, not a count of this operation. | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 15.6 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 56% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)9.2% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.2 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Chapel Allerton Hospital: Good (CQC report for Chapel Allerton Hospital) Leeds General Infirmary: Requires improvement (CQC report for Leeds General Infirmary) St James's University Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for St James's University Hospital) Wharfedale Hospital: Good (CQC report for Wharfedale Hospital) |
| Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Dewsbury and District Hospital, Pinderfields Hospital, Pontefract Hospital | 1,000 or moreTrust’s overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V, 2025-26. Context only, not a count of this operation. | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 15.7 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 55.4% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)12.6% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.1 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Dewsbury and District Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Dewsbury and District Hospital) Pinderfields Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Pinderfields Hospital) Pontefract Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Pontefract Hospital) |
| Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Goole & District Hospital, Scunthorpe General Hospital | Fewer than 150Trust’s overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V, 2025-26. Context only, not a count of this operation. | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 14 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 59.4% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)31% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Diana Princess of Wales Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Diana Princess of Wales Hospital) Goole & District Hospital: Good (CQC report for Goole & District Hospital) Scunthorpe General Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Scunthorpe General Hospital) |
| The Rotherham NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Rotherham General Hospital | Fewer than 150Trust’s overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V, 2025-26. Context only, not a count of this operation. | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 16.5 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 53.1% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)4.3% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.1 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Rotherham General Hospital) |
| Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Sheffield Children’s Hospital | 150 to 399Trust’s overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V, 2025-26. Context only, not a count of this operation. | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 18.9% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | Not published | Not Rated (CQC report for Sheffield Children's Hospital) |
| South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Friarage Hospital, Friary Hospital | 1,000 or moreTrust’s overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V, 2025-26. Context only, not a count of this operation. | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 12.4 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 67.5% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)14.3% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.4 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Good (CQC report for Friarage Hospital) |
| York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Bridlington Hospital, Scarborough Hospital, The York Hospital | 150 to 399Trust’s overall NHS-funded activity in OPCS-4 chapter V, 2025-26. Context only, not a count of this operation. | No outcome data published for this operationMore measures
| 12.4 weeksHalf of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedics had waited less than this. 65.2% waiting under 18 weeks (August 2026)7.9% of people waiting for a MRI scan had waited 6 weeks or more (England 22%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.1 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Bridlington Hospital: Good (CQC report for Bridlington Hospital) Scarborough Hospital: Good (CQC report for Scarborough Hospital) The York Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for The York Hospital) |
Across England
In 2025-26, NHS-funded care in England (NHS hospitals and NHS patients treated by independent providers; private patients are not included) recorded 19,191 episodes where the main procedure was primary decompression of the lumbar spine (OPCS-4 V25). 6% were day cases. Half of the people admitted from a waiting list had waited less than about 96 days from the decision to admit them. These are national figures from Hospital Episode Statistics (NHS England, 2025-26, Open Government Licence v3.0); the same detail is not published for each hospital.
How to read this
- Not a ranking. The table is in alphabetical order. A higher volume does not on its own mean better care, and we do not combine the columns into a score.
- Trust activity (Hospital Episode Statistics). The bands show the trust’s overall NHS-funded activity in a whole chapter of the procedure classification (OPCS-4), for context. They are not a count of this operation, they are for the whole trust rather than one hospital, they exclude private patients, and we show bands only, not exact counts. Cut points are the lower quartile, median and upper quartile of all 128 NHS trusts in England with activity in OPCS-4 chapter V in the published table, rounded.
- Risk adjustment. Where a figure says “adjusted”, the audit has allowed for differences in the patients each hospital treats, such as age and other illnesses. Hospitals that take on more complex cases can still look different for reasons the adjustment does not capture.
- Bands and limits. We only say a result is higher or lower than expected when the source itself says so (for example NJR outlier status, NELA funnel limits, SSNAP levels, CQC survey bands). Where the source publishes a rate without limits we show the rate and the national figure, and say “No banding published”.
- Small numbers. A small hospital can have 0% or a high percentage by chance. Figures the source suppresses are shown as “Not published (small numbers)”.
- Trust or hospital. This audit publishes figures for each NHS trust, which may run several hospitals. The operation may only be done at one of them.
- Different periods. Each figure has its own period, shown next to it. Audit results describe operations done one to three years ago; waiting times are updated monthly.
- Talk to your GP or consultant about what the figures mean for you. If you are referred for planned care in England, you can usually choose your hospital.
Full definitions: methodology and data dictionary.
Data sources and licences
- Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity 2025-26 (Hospital Episode Statistics), NHS England. Source: Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity 2025-26, NHS England, part of the Government Statistical Service (published 24 September 2026). Copyright © 2026, NHS England. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. NHS-funded activity only. Open Government Licence v3.0
- Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times, NHS England. Source: NHS England, Referral to Treatment waiting times. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
- Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity (DM01), NHS England. Source: NHS England, Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity (DM01). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
- CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025 (trust benchmark results), Care Quality Commission. Source: Care Quality Commission, NHS Patient Survey Programme, Adult Inpatient Survey 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
- CQC ratings, Care Quality Commission. CQC ratings: Care Quality Commission. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
- Healthcare-associated infections: annual counts and rates by trust (financial year 2025 to 2026), UK Health Security Agency. Source: UK Health Security Agency, healthcare-associated infection annual data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
Data last updated 26 October 2026. We do not change the published figures; we only group volumes into bands. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Sources
We checked this guide against these official pages on 26 October 2026.
- Lumbar decompression surgery (NHS website)
- Sciatica (NHS website)
- Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity 2025-26 (NHS England)
- Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times 2026-27 (NHS England)
- Adult inpatient survey (Care Quality Commission)
Spotted something out of date? Tell us.