The time between the NHS pre-operative (pre-op) assessment and the actual operation varies and is not fixed. There is no set waiting time; the scheduling of the operation depends on the surgeon's waiting list and availability. After the pre-op assessment, once the medical team is satisfied with the patient's fitness for surgery, the surgeon's booking team will contact the patient with the surgery date. The pre-op assessment itself usually happens well before the surgery to allow time for any necessary optimisation of the patient's health and completion of tests, often at least 12 weeks prior to the surgery date in some recommendations. However, the actual wait after the assessment can range from days to months depending on the patient and hospital circumstances.