Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026
Cardiology waiting times at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) figures for consultant-led cardiology care at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, in the NHS England South East region. Patients waiting at the end of August 2026. Cardiology covers the heart, for example chest pain clinics, abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure.
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 5,300 pathways were waiting for consultant-led cardiology care at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. Half had waited 17.9 weeks or less so far (England 11.9 weeks), 50.1% had waited under 18 weeks (England 67.9%; standard 92%) and 608 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.
Cardiology at East Kent Hospitals University: summary
The median cardiology wait so far at East Kent Hospitals University was 17.9 weeks for patients waiting at the end of August 2026, 6.0 weeks (50%) longer than the England median of 11.9 weeks. The share waiting under 18 weeks, 50.1%, was 14.1 percentage points below the figure for the South East region (64.2%). It was among the quarter of NHS trusts with the longest median cardiology waits: 6th longest of 118. The median fell from 25.1 weeks at the end of February 2026 to 17.9 weeks at the end of August 2026, even though the list grew by 301 pathways (6%). Over the same months the England median went from 12.3 weeks to 11.9 weeks. 608 pathways (11.5% of the list) had waited over 52 weeks, about 14.9 times the England share of 0.8%. 22 of the 23 other NHS trusts within 60 miles had a shorter median; the nearest were Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells (about 26 miles away, median 10.5 weeks) and Mid and South Essex (about 26 miles away, median 12.3 weeks).
How does East Kent Hospitals University compare for cardiology?
| Measure | East Kent Hospitals University | South East region | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathways waiting | 5,300 | 56,195 | 362,143 |
| Waited under 18 weeks | 50.1% | 64.2% | 67.9% |
| Median weeks waited | 17.9 | not calculated | 11.9 |
| 92nd percentile weeks waited | 57 | not calculated | 36 |
| Waited over 52 weeks | 608 (11.5%) | 805 (1.4%) | 2,790 (0.8%) |
Region figures are a Waiting Times UK calculation: we add up NHS England’s figures for the 23 NHS and independent providers in the South East 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 118 NHS trusts in England with at least 20 cardiology pathways waiting, 112 had a shorter median wait than East Kent Hospitals University and 5 a longer one. See every trust on the cardiology waits page.
Has the cardiology wait at East Kent Hospitals University changed?
At the end of February 2026, 4,999 pathways were waiting and the median wait so far was 25.1 weeks. At the end of August 2026, 5,300 pathways were waiting and the median was 17.9 weeks. Past changes do not predict future waits.
East Kent Hospitals University: median cardiology wait (weeks) England cardiology
| Month end | Waiting | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Over 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | 4,999 | 25.1 | 35.4% | 541 |
| March 2026 | 5,091 | 20.2 | 46.7% | 499 |
| April 2026 | 5,017 | 19.3 | 48.0% | 562 |
| May 2026 | 5,044 | 17.6 | 50.7% | 592 |
| June 2026 | 5,303 | 17.2 | 51.9% | 659 |
| July 2026 | 5,316 | 17.5 | 50.8% | 665 |
| August 2026 | 5,300 | 17.9 | 50.1% | 608 |
Which nearby trusts treat cardiology?
| Nearby trust | Distance | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Waiting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medway NHS Foundation Trust | about 25 miles | 19.0 | 47.7% | 3,322 |
| Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust | about 26 miles | 10.5 | 78.4% | 2,268 |
| Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust | about 26 miles | 12.3 | 66.8% | 11,056 |
| East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | about 35 miles | 13.0 | 64.9% | 4,189 |
| Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust | about 38 miles | 15.0 | 61.0% | 1,975 |
| Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust | about 44 miles | 11.7 | 73.6% | 4,283 |
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 cardiology pathways waiting are listed.
Find cardiology 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 East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
- Cardiology waits at every trust in England
- Search by postcode
- All specialty pages by trust
Other specialties at East Kent Hospitals University
- Dermatology
- Ear, nose and throat (ENT)
- Elderly medicine
- Gastroenterology
- General surgery
- Gynaecology
- Neurology
- Ophthalmology
- Oral surgery
- Respiratory medicine
- Rheumatology
- Trauma and orthopaedics
- Urology
Frequently asked questions
How long is the wait for cardiology at East Kent Hospitals University?
At the end of August 2026, half of the 5,300 pathways waiting for cardiology at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust had waited 17.9 weeks or less, and 50.1% 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 East Kent Hospitals University compare with England for cardiology?
Across England the median cardiology wait was 11.9 weeks and 67.9% had waited under 18 weeks at the end of August 2026. Of 118 NHS trusts with at least 20 pathways waiting, 112 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, “Cardiology waiting times at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust”, NHS England RTT data for August 2026, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/specialty-waits/east-kent-hospitals-university-nhs-foundation-trust/cardiology (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.
Spotted a figure that looks wrong or out of date? Report a figure and we will check it against the original source.