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

Rheumatology waiting times at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) figures for consultant-led rheumatology care at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, in the NHS England South West region. Patients waiting at the end of August 2026. Rheumatology covers joints, muscles and bones affected by inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, for example rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and gout.

Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 1,213 pathways were waiting for consultant-led rheumatology care at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust. Half had waited 7.5 weeks or less so far (England 10.9 weeks), 91.7% had waited under 18 weeks (England 70.4%; 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.

7.5 wksmedian wait so far: half had waited less (England 10.9 weeks)
91.7%waiting under 18 weeks (England 70.4%; standard 92%)
1,213pathways 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.

Rheumatology at University Hospitals Dorset: summary

Patients waiting for rheumatology at University Hospitals Dorset at the end of August 2026 had waited a median of 7.5 weeks, well below the England median of 10.9 weeks: 3.4 weeks (31%) shorter. 91.7% had waited under 18 weeks, 17.7 percentage points more than across the South West region (74.0%). It ranked 24th shortest of 113 NHS trusts for this measure, in the quarter of trusts with the shortest median rheumatology waits. The median was broadly flat between the end of February 2026 and August 2026 (7.9 weeks to 7.5 weeks), while the list grew by 63 pathways (5%). Over the same months the England median went from 11.7 weeks to 10.9 weeks. None of the 1,213 pathways had waited over 52 weeks (England 0.9%). 2 of the 9 other NHS trusts within 60 miles had a shorter median; the nearest were Portsmouth Hospitals University (about 40 miles away, median 4.8 weeks) and Great Western Hospitals (about 57 miles away, median 7.2 weeks).

How does University Hospitals Dorset compare for rheumatology?

Rheumatology waits, end of August 2026
MeasureUniversity Hospitals DorsetSouth West regionEngland
Pathways waiting1,2138,983118,397
Waited under 18 weeks91.7%74.0%70.4%
Median weeks waited7.5not calculated10.9
92nd percentile weeks waited19not calculated35
Waited over 52 weeks0 (0.0%)19 (0.2%)1,070 (0.9%)

Region figures are a Waiting Times UK calculation: we add up NHS England’s figures for the 9 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 113 NHS trusts in England with at least 20 rheumatology pathways waiting, 23 had a shorter median wait than University Hospitals Dorset and 89 a longer one. See all specialties on the operation and treatment waits page.

Has the rheumatology wait at University Hospitals Dorset changed?

At the end of February 2026, 1,150 pathways were waiting and the median wait so far was 7.9 weeks. At the end of August 2026, 1,213 pathways were waiting and the median was 7.5 weeks. Past changes do not predict future waits.

University Hospitals Dorset: median rheumatology wait (weeks)68101113Feb 26Mar 26Apr 26May 26Jun 26Jul 26Aug 26

University Hospitals Dorset: median rheumatology wait (weeks) England rheumatology

Rheumatology at University Hospitals Dorset, month by month
Month endWaitingMedian weeksUnder 18 weeksOver 52 weeks
February 20261,1507.984.7%0
March 20261,2348.986.7%0
April 20261,2558.485.1%0
May 20261,3489.181.6%1
June 20261,2378.387.8%0
July 20261,1527.689.8%0
August 20261,2137.591.7%0

Which nearby trusts treat rheumatology?

Rheumatology: nearby NHS trusts, end of August 2026
Nearby trustDistanceMedian weeksUnder 18 weeksWaiting
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trustabout 24 miles10.773.1%635
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trustabout 28 miles9.377.9%870
Isle of Wight NHS Trustabout 29 miles9.070.0%664
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trustabout 40 miles4.897.9%425
Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trustabout 50 miles11.368.1%1,375
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trustabout 54 miles14.657.1%1,409

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 rheumatology pathways waiting are listed.

Find rheumatology 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 University Hospitals Dorset

Frequently asked questions

How long is the wait for rheumatology at University Hospitals Dorset?

At the end of August 2026, half of the 1,213 pathways waiting for rheumatology at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust had waited 7.5 weeks or less, and 91.7% 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 University Hospitals Dorset compare with England for rheumatology?

Across England the median rheumatology wait was 10.9 weeks and 70.4% had waited under 18 weeks at the end of August 2026. Of 113 NHS trusts with at least 20 pathways waiting, 23 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, “Rheumatology 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/rheumatology (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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