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Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026

Cardiothoracic surgery waiting times at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust

NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) figures for consultant-led cardiothoracic surgery care at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, in the NHS England North West region. Patients waiting at the end of August 2026. Cardiothoracic surgery covers operations on the heart, lungs and chest, for example heart bypass and heart valve surgery.

Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 31 pathways were waiting for consultant-led cardiothoracic surgery care at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust. Half had waited 7.1 weeks or less so far (England 9.6 weeks), 93.5% had waited under 18 weeks (England 73.6%; standard 92%) and 0 had waited over 52 weeks.

Source: NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) statistics, published 8 October 2026. These are past figures, not a forecast of how long you will wait.

7.1 wksmedian wait so far: half had waited less (England 9.6 weeks)
93.5%waiting under 18 weeks (England 73.6%; standard 92%)
31pathways waiting at the end of August 2026
0waiting over 52 weeks (0.0% of the list)

Figures are for patients waiting at the end of August 2026 (NHS England RTT, published 8 October 2026). They show how long people had waited so far, not how long a new referral will wait, and they are not a guarantee of any wait. A pathway is one patient’s wait for one specialty; a person can be on more than one list.

Cardiothoracic surgery at Bolton: summary

Patients waiting for cardiothoracic surgery at Bolton at the end of August 2026 had waited a median of 7.1 weeks, well below the England median of 9.6 weeks: 2.5 weeks (26%) shorter. 93.5% had waited under 18 weeks, 29.8 percentage points more than across the North West region (63.7%). It ranked 5th shortest of 29 NHS trusts for this measure, in the quarter of trusts with the shortest median cardiothoracic surgery waits. The figures improved between the end of February 2026 and August 2026: the median fell from 20.0 weeks to 7.1 weeks and the list shrank by 29 pathways (48%). Over the same months the England median went from 11.1 weeks to 9.6 weeks. None of the 31 pathways had waited over 52 weeks (England 1.2%). None of the 6 other NHS trusts within 60 miles had a shorter median cardiothoracic surgery wait.

How does Bolton compare for cardiothoracic surgery?

Cardiothoracic surgery waits, end of August 2026
MeasureBoltonNorth West regionEngland
Pathways waiting312,8188,798
Waited under 18 weeks93.5%63.7%73.6%
Median weeks waited7.1not calculated9.6
92nd percentile weeks waited18not calculated34
Waited over 52 weeks0 (0.0%)78 (2.8%)106 (1.2%)

Region figures are a Waiting Times UK calculation: we add up NHS England’s figures for the 8 NHS and independent providers in the North West region with this specialty. Medians and percentiles cannot be added up, so we do not show them for the region. The under-18-weeks share leaves out pathways with an unknown start date, as NHS England does.

Of the 29 NHS trusts in England with at least 20 cardiothoracic surgery pathways waiting, 4 had a shorter median wait than Bolton and 24 a longer one. See all specialties on the operation and treatment waits page.

Has the cardiothoracic surgery wait at Bolton changed?

At the end of February 2026, 60 pathways were waiting and the median wait so far was 20.0 weeks. At the end of August 2026, 31 pathways were waiting and the median was 7.1 weeks. Past changes do not predict future waits.

Bolton: median cardiothoracic surgery wait (weeks)29162229Feb 26Mar 26Apr 26May 26Jun 26Jul 26Aug 26

Bolton: median cardiothoracic surgery wait (weeks) England cardiothoracic surgery

Cardiothoracic surgery at Bolton, month by month
Month endWaitingMedian weeksUnder 18 weeksOver 52 weeks
February 20266020.045.0%0
March 20266320.841.3%0
April 20265823.036.2%0
May 20265826.036.2%0
June 20265625.030.4%0
July 2026375.573.0%0
August 2026317.193.5%0

Which nearby trusts treat cardiothoracic surgery?

Cardiothoracic surgery: nearby NHS trusts, end of August 2026
Nearby trustDistanceMedian weeksUnder 18 weeksWaiting
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trustabout 8 miles19.045.8%24
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trustabout 10 miles8.181.9%817
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trustabout 30 miles18.648.6%876
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trustabout 39 miles11.273.6%227
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trustabout 41 miles7.778.7%447
University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trustabout 58 miles10.875.6%45

Straight-line distance between the trusts’ registered addresses in the NHS Organisation Data Service. A trust may run several hospitals, so the site you are treated at can be elsewhere. Only trusts with at least 20 cardiothoracic surgery pathways waiting are listed.

Find cardiothoracic surgery waits near your postcode (England only).

Can I choose a hospital with a shorter wait?

In England you have a legal right to start consultant-led, non-urgent treatment within 18 weeks of referral, with some exceptions, and you can usually choose where you are referred for a first outpatient appointment. Each hospital has a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) that can help with questions about your wait. Your waiting time rights explained.

Not medical advice. If your symptoms change or get worse while you wait, contact your GP or the team treating you. If it is not an emergency, NHS 111 online or calling 111 can tell you where to go, including urgent treatment centres, which often have shorter waits. Call 999 or go to A&E for life-threatening emergencies such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding or signs of a stroke.

More waiting times

Other specialties at Bolton

Frequently asked questions

How long is the wait for cardiothoracic surgery at Bolton?

At the end of August 2026, half of the 31 pathways waiting for cardiothoracic surgery at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust had waited 7.1 weeks or less, and 93.5% had waited under 18 weeks. This is how long people on the list had waited so far, not a prediction of how long a new referral will take.

How does Bolton compare with England for cardiothoracic surgery?

Across England the median cardiothoracic surgery wait was 9.6 weeks and 73.6% had waited under 18 weeks at the end of August 2026. Of 29 NHS trusts with at least 20 pathways waiting, 4 had a shorter median wait.

Is this page from the NHS?

No. Waiting Times UK is an independent website, not part of the NHS, and this is not medical advice. The figures are NHS England’s, reproduced under the Open Government Licence.

How should I cite these figures?

Waiting Times UK, “Cardiothoracic surgery waiting times at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust”, NHS England RTT data for August 2026, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/specialty-waits/bolton-nhs-foundation-trust/cardiothoracic-surgery (accessed [date]). Where possible, cite the official publisher too.

Who wrote this page and where do the figures come from?

Written and maintained by the Waiting Times UK editorial team at Oaknest Media Ltd, an independent publisher that is not part of the NHS. Every figure is taken from an official publication, shown with its date, and linked below; where we add up or compare figures ourselves we say so. This page has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not medical advice. Page last updated 2 November 2026, from the data files named below. Figures change when the publisher releases new data.

Official statistics are reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See data sources and methods and about Waiting Times UK.

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