Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026
Cardiology waiting times at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) figures for consultant-led cardiology care at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, in the NHS England South West 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, 3,596 pathways were waiting for consultant-led cardiology care at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust. Half had waited 9.8 weeks or less so far (England 11.9 weeks), 79.1% had waited under 18 weeks (England 67.9%; 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.
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 University Hospitals Dorset: summary
At the end of August 2026 the median cardiology wait so far at University Hospitals Dorset was 9.8 weeks, shorter than England’s 11.9 weeks (a difference of 2.1 weeks, or 18%). 79.1% had waited under 18 weeks, 12.9 percentage points more than across the South West region (66.2%). It ranked joint 29th shortest of 118 NHS trusts for this measure, in the quarter of trusts with the shortest median cardiology waits. The median was broadly flat between the end of February 2026 and August 2026 (9.4 weeks to 9.8 weeks), while the list grew by 282 pathways (9%). Over the same months the England median went from 12.3 weeks to 11.9 weeks. None of the 3,596 pathways had waited over 52 weeks (England 0.8%). None of the 10 other NHS trusts within 60 miles had a shorter median cardiology wait.
How does University Hospitals Dorset compare for cardiology?
| Measure | University Hospitals Dorset | South West region | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathways waiting | 3,596 | 36,195 | 362,143 |
| Waited under 18 weeks | 79.1% | 66.2% | 67.9% |
| Median weeks waited | 9.8 | not calculated | 11.9 |
| 92nd percentile weeks waited | 29 | not calculated | 36 |
| Waited over 52 weeks | 0 (0.0%) | 239 (0.7%) | 2,790 (0.8%) |
Region figures are a Waiting Times UK calculation: we add up NHS England’s figures for the 14 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 118 NHS trusts in England with at least 20 cardiology pathways waiting, 28 had a shorter median wait than University Hospitals Dorset and 86 a longer one. See every trust on the cardiology waits page.
Has the cardiology wait at University Hospitals Dorset changed?
At the end of February 2026, 3,314 pathways were waiting and the median wait so far was 9.4 weeks. At the end of August 2026, 3,596 pathways were waiting and the median was 9.8 weeks. Past changes do not predict future waits.
University Hospitals Dorset: median cardiology wait (weeks) England cardiology
| Month end | Waiting | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Over 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | 3,314 | 9.4 | 82.1% | 2 |
| March 2026 | 3,745 | 9.5 | 83.9% | 3 |
| April 2026 | 3,705 | 9.5 | 79.1% | 2 |
| May 2026 | 3,914 | 10.0 | 76.9% | 1 |
| June 2026 | 3,868 | 10.0 | 81.8% | 0 |
| July 2026 | 3,998 | 10.0 | 80.8% | 0 |
| August 2026 | 3,596 | 9.8 | 79.1% | 0 |
Which nearby trusts treat cardiology?
| Nearby trust | Distance | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Waiting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | about 21 miles | 18.5 | 49.1% | 1,790 |
| Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust | about 24 miles | 11.5 | 69.0% | 1,669 |
| University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust | about 28 miles | 12.3 | 68.1% | 4,074 |
| Isle of Wight NHS Trust | about 29 miles | 16.8 | 51.4% | 795 |
| Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust | about 40 miles | 10.4 | 74.3% | 2,874 |
| Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust | about 50 miles | 12.5 | 67.7% | 4,057 |
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 University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
- Cardiology waits at every trust in England
- Search by postcode
- All specialty pages by trust
Other specialties at University Hospitals Dorset
- Dermatology
- Ear, nose and throat (ENT)
- Elderly medicine
- Gastroenterology
- General internal medicine
- 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 University Hospitals Dorset?
At the end of August 2026, half of the 3,596 pathways waiting for cardiology at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust had waited 9.8 weeks or less, and 79.1% 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 University Hospitals Dorset 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, 28 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 University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust”, NHS England RTT data for August 2026, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/specialty-waits/university-hospitals-dorset-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.
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