Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026
Gynaecology waiting times at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) figures for consultant-led gynaecology care at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in the NHS England South West region. Patients waiting at the end of August 2026. Gynaecology covers the female reproductive system, for example heavy periods, endometriosis, fibroids, prolapse and menopause problems.
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 1,580 pathways were waiting for consultant-led gynaecology care at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Half had waited 12.8 weeks or less so far (England 14.2 weeks), 66.5% had waited under 18 weeks (England 59.6%; standard 92%) and 33 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.
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.
Gynaecology at Dorset County Hospital: summary
At the end of August 2026 the median gynaecology wait so far at Dorset County Hospital was 12.8 weeks, slightly shorter than England’s 14.2 weeks (a difference of 1.4 weeks, or 10%). 66.5% had waited under 18 weeks, 6.2 percentage points more than across the South West region (60.3%). Of 117 NHS trusts with at least 20 gynaecology pathways waiting, 38 reported a shorter median and 77 a longer one, which puts Dorset County Hospital in the middle half. Waits lengthened between the end of February 2026 and August 2026: the median rose from 10.7 weeks to 12.8 weeks and the list grew by 301 pathways (24%). Over the same months the England median went from 14.8 weeks to 14.2 weeks. 33 pathways (2.1% of the list) had waited over 52 weeks, similar to the England share of 2.2%. 3 of the 8 other NHS trusts within 60 miles had a shorter median; the nearest were Salisbury (about 37 miles away, median 11.8 weeks) and Royal United Hospitals Bath (about 47 miles away, median 10.7 weeks).
How does Dorset County Hospital compare for gynaecology?
| Measure | Dorset County Hospital | South West region | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathways waiting | 1,580 | 47,669 | 586,582 |
| Waited under 18 weeks | 66.5% | 60.3% | 59.6% |
| Median weeks waited | 12.8 | not calculated | 14.2 |
| 92nd percentile weeks waited | 41 | not calculated | 42 |
| Waited over 52 weeks | 33 (2.1%) | 644 (1.4%) | 12,885 (2.2%) |
Region figures are a Waiting Times UK calculation: we add up NHS England’s figures for the 18 NHS and independent providers in the South 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 117 NHS trusts in England with at least 20 gynaecology pathways waiting, 38 had a shorter median wait than Dorset County Hospital and 77 a longer one. See every trust on the gynaecology waits page.
Has the gynaecology wait at Dorset County Hospital changed?
At the end of February 2026, 1,279 pathways were waiting and the median wait so far was 10.7 weeks. At the end of August 2026, 1,580 pathways were waiting and the median was 12.8 weeks. Past changes do not predict future waits.
Dorset County Hospital: median gynaecology wait (weeks) England gynaecology
| Month end | Waiting | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Over 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | 1,279 | 10.7 | 66.5% | 12 |
| March 2026 | 1,253 | 9.8 | 67.7% | 10 |
| April 2026 | 1,292 | 12.0 | 65.0% | 13 |
| May 2026 | 1,404 | 12.6 | 64.0% | 19 |
| June 2026 | 1,310 | 13.4 | 63.6% | 27 |
| July 2026 | 1,521 | 11.9 | 66.7% | 31 |
| August 2026 | 1,580 | 12.8 | 66.5% | 33 |
Which nearby trusts treat gynaecology?
| Nearby trust | Distance | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Waiting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust | about 21 miles | 18.6 | 49.0% | 7,061 |
| Somerset NHS Foundation Trust | about 36 miles | 16.0 | 54.2% | 4,117 |
| Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust | about 37 miles | 11.8 | 69.7% | 2,732 |
| Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | about 46 miles | 14.1 | 58.2% | 5,505 |
| University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust | about 47 miles | 17.0 | 52.0% | 3,979 |
| Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust | about 47 miles | 10.7 | 77.7% | 3,313 |
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 gynaecology pathways waiting are listed.
Find gynaecology 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
- All waiting times at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Gynaecology waits at every trust in England
- Search by postcode
- All specialty pages by trust
Other specialties at Dorset County Hospital
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Ear, nose and throat (ENT)
- Elderly medicine
- Gastroenterology
- General surgery
- Ophthalmology
- Oral surgery
- Respiratory medicine
- Trauma and orthopaedics
- Urology
Frequently asked questions
How long is the wait for gynaecology at Dorset County Hospital?
At the end of August 2026, half of the 1,580 pathways waiting for gynaecology at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust had waited 12.8 weeks or less, and 66.5% 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 Dorset County Hospital compare with England for gynaecology?
Across England the median gynaecology wait was 14.2 weeks and 59.6% had waited under 18 weeks at the end of August 2026. Of 117 NHS trusts with at least 20 pathways waiting, 38 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, “Gynaecology waiting times at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust”, NHS England RTT data for August 2026, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/specialty-waits/dorset-county-hospital-nhs-foundation-trust/gynaecology (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.
- NHS England: Referral to treatment waiting times (August 2026, published 8 October 2026)
- NHS England: Referral to treatment waiting times, full CSV data files (February 2026 to August 2026; used for the month-by-month trend)
- NHS England: Organisation Data Service (trust registered addresses, used for distances), geocoded with postcodes.io (ONS Postcode Directory, OGL)
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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