Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026
Ophthalmology waiting times at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) figures for consultant-led ophthalmology care at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, in the NHS England South East region. Patients waiting at the end of August 2026. Ophthalmology covers eyes, for example cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease.
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 5,544 pathways were waiting for consultant-led ophthalmology care at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. Half had waited 13.4 weeks or less so far (England 10.4 weeks), 60.7% had waited under 18 weeks (England 72.2%; standard 92%) and 163 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.
Ophthalmology at East Kent Hospitals University: summary
The median ophthalmology wait so far at East Kent Hospitals University was 13.4 weeks for patients waiting at the end of August 2026, 3.0 weeks (29%) longer than the England median of 10.4 weeks. The share waiting under 18 weeks, 60.7%, was 6.1 percentage points below the figure for the South East region (66.8%). It was among the quarter of NHS trusts with the longest median ophthalmology waits: joint 22nd longest of 105. The median was broadly flat between the end of February 2026 and August 2026 (13.8 weeks to 13.4 weeks), while the list grew by 309 pathways (6%). Over the same months the England median went from 10.9 weeks to 10.4 weeks. 163 pathways (2.9% of the list) had waited over 52 weeks, about 3.7 times the England share of 0.8%. 14 of the 17 other NHS trusts within 60 miles had a shorter median; the nearest were Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells (about 26 miles away, median 9.4 weeks) and East Sussex Healthcare (about 35 miles away, median 8.8 weeks).
How does East Kent Hospitals University compare for ophthalmology?
| Measure | East Kent Hospitals University | South East region | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathways waiting | 5,544 | 93,566 | 625,063 |
| Waited under 18 weeks | 60.7% | 66.8% | 72.2% |
| Median weeks waited | 13.4 | not calculated | 10.4 |
| 92nd percentile weeks waited | 42 | not calculated | 33 |
| Waited over 52 weeks | 163 (2.9%) | 1,115 (1.2%) | 5,022 (0.8%) |
Region figures are a Waiting Times UK calculation: we add up NHS England’s figures for the 56 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 105 NHS trusts in England with at least 20 ophthalmology pathways waiting, 82 had a shorter median wait than East Kent Hospitals University and 21 a longer one. See every trust on the ophthalmology waits page.
Has the ophthalmology wait at East Kent Hospitals University changed?
At the end of February 2026, 5,235 pathways were waiting and the median wait so far was 13.8 weeks. At the end of August 2026, 5,544 pathways were waiting and the median was 13.4 weeks. Past changes do not predict future waits.
East Kent Hospitals University: median ophthalmology wait (weeks) England ophthalmology
| Month end | Waiting | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Over 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | 5,235 | 13.8 | 59.2% | 165 |
| March 2026 | 5,362 | 11.8 | 61.4% | 177 |
| April 2026 | 5,324 | 12.0 | 63.5% | 160 |
| May 2026 | 5,506 | 12.3 | 64.6% | 149 |
| June 2026 | 5,477 | 12.4 | 62.6% | 159 |
| July 2026 | 5,434 | 13.0 | 61.0% | 159 |
| August 2026 | 5,544 | 13.4 | 60.7% | 163 |
Which nearby trusts treat ophthalmology?
| Nearby trust | Distance | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Waiting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust | about 26 miles | 9.4 | 74.7% | 5,934 |
| Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust | about 26 miles | 14.2 | 59.0% | 13,629 |
| East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | about 35 miles | 8.8 | 79.7% | 3,716 |
| Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust | about 44 miles | 8.4 | 82.8% | 3,421 |
| East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust | about 45 miles | 12.4 | 64.1% | 9,222 |
| Barts Health NHS Trust | about 52 miles | 11.9 | 68.0% | 6,519 |
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 ophthalmology pathways waiting are listed.
Find ophthalmology 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
- Ophthalmology waits at every trust in England
- Search by postcode
- All specialty pages by trust
Other specialties at East Kent Hospitals University
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Ear, nose and throat (ENT)
- Elderly medicine
- Gastroenterology
- General surgery
- Gynaecology
- Neurology
- Oral surgery
- Respiratory medicine
- Rheumatology
- Trauma and orthopaedics
- Urology
Frequently asked questions
How long is the wait for ophthalmology at East Kent Hospitals University?
At the end of August 2026, half of the 5,544 pathways waiting for ophthalmology at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust had waited 13.4 weeks or less, and 60.7% 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 ophthalmology?
Across England the median ophthalmology wait was 10.4 weeks and 72.2% had waited under 18 weeks at the end of August 2026. Of 105 NHS trusts with at least 20 pathways waiting, 82 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, “Ophthalmology 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/ophthalmology (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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