Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 1 November 2026
Cardiology waiting times
In August 2026, 362,143 pathways were waiting for consultant-led cardiology care in England. 67.9% had waited under 18 weeks (standard 92%), the median wait so far was 11.9 weeks, and 2,790 had waited over a year. Waits vary widely between hospitals, as the table below shows.
Cardiology covers the heart, for example chest pain clinics, abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure. These are referral to treatment figures: they count everyone waiting for consultant-led cardiology care, from referral until treatment starts, whether or not they need an operation.
How long is the NHS waiting list for cardiology?
Cardiology: England, August 2026| Measure | England |
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| Pathways waiting | 362,143 |
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| Rank by size among specialties | 8 of 18 |
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| Waited under 18 weeks | 67.9% |
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| Median weeks waited | 11.9 |
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| 92nd percentile weeks waited | 36 |
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| Waited over 52 weeks | 2,790 (0.8%) |
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| Share with independent providers (WTUK calculation) | 0.6% |
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Which NHS trusts have the shortest and longest median cardiology waits?
Among NHS trusts with at least 1,000 pathways waiting. The median is how long half the people on that list had waited so far.
How long are cardiology waits at each NHS trust?
NHS trusts with at least 50 pathways waiting, grouped by region and listed A to Z.
Cardiology waits by NHS trust, August 2026| Trust | Region | Waiting | % under 18 wks | Median wks | Over 52 wks |
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| Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust | London | 4,283 | 73.6% | 11.7 | 2 |
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| Barts Health NHS Trust | London | 8,277 | 76.5% | 10.2 | 0 |
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| Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | London | 1,804 | 96.2% | 9.1 | 0 |
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| Croydon Health Services NHS Trust | London | 1,467 | 78.3% | 10.2 | 0 |
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| Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust | London | 3,442 | 63.9% | 13.7 | 89 |
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| Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust | London | 10,822 | 58.6% | 14.5 | 173 |
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| Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | London | 1,372 | 65.1% | 13.6 | 0 |
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| Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | London | 8,185 | 66.9% | 12.0 | 1 |
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| King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | London | 5,068 | 67.6% | 12.4 | 63 |
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| Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust | London | 1,807 | 68.2% | 11.9 | 0 |
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| Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust | London | 3,123 | 70.3% | 11.5 | 4 |
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| London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust | London | 4,804 | 67.3% | 13.1 | 11 |
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| Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust | London | 8,245 | 58.5% | 15.2 | 7 |
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| St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | London | 5,695 | 61.8% | 13.7 | 91 |
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| The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | London | 1,945 | 45.9% | 19.6 | 2 |
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| University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | London | 806 | 72.5% | 9.8 | 0 |
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| Whittington Health NHS Trust | London | 953 | 75.1% | 11.0 | 0 |
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| Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 2,404 | 64.7% | 13.1 | 1 |
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| Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust | South East | 2,766 | 62.9% | 14.6 | 0 |
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| Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust | South East | 1,975 | 61.0% | 15.0 | 4 |
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| East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 5,300 | 50.1% | 17.9 | 608 |
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| East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | South East | 4,189 | 64.9% | 13.0 | 13 |
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| Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 2,714 | 70.8% | 9.8 | 0 |
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| Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 4,020 | 53.5% | 16.9 | 76 |
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| Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 244 | 92.6% | 7.3 | 0 |
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| Isle of Wight NHS Trust | South East | 795 | 51.4% | 16.8 | 0 |
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| Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust | South East | 2,268 | 78.4% | 10.5 | 0 |
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| Medway NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 3,322 | 47.7% | 19.0 | 29 |
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| Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 3,973 | 69.1% | 11.4 | 9 |
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| Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust | South East | 2,874 | 74.3% | 10.4 | 5 |
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| Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 222 | 65.8% | 11.5 | 0 |
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| Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 2,834 | 82.3% | 10.9 | 3 |
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| Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 1,089 | 67.1% | 11.1 | 7 |
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| Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | South East | 2,782 | 88.3% | 8.3 | 0 |
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| University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 4,074 | 68.1% | 12.3 | 35 |
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| University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 7,763 | 55.4% | 15.9 | 14 |
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| Bristol NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 6,726 | 59.8% | 13.9 | 0 |
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| Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 1,790 | 49.1% | 18.5 | 15 |
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| Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 6,215 | 72.8% | 10.9 | 0 |
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| Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 1,125 | 70.8% | 10.3 | 0 |
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| Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | South West | 2,469 | 63.3% | 12.7 | 8 |
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| Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 6,002 | 57.9% | 14.4 | 184 |
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| Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 4,057 | 67.7% | 12.5 | 4 |
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| Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 1,669 | 69.0% | 11.5 | 18 |
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| Somerset NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 2,441 | 77.1% | 10.3 | 6 |
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| University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust | South West | 3,596 | 79.1% | 9.8 | 0 |
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| Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | Midlands | 814 | 72.4% | 10.4 | 2 |
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| George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust | Midlands | 1,162 | 77.8% | 10.5 | 0 |
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| Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | Midlands | 1,807 | 86.4% | 7.1 | 0 |
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| Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust | Midlands | 1,652 | 84.9% | 6.9 | 2 |
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| Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust | Midlands | 4,980 | 49.9% | 18.1 | 27 |
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| Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Midlands | 2,086 | 60.8% | 14.6 | 8 |
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| Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust | Midlands | 66 | 80.3% | 12.5 | 0 |
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| South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust | Midlands | 792 | 88.6% | 8.8 | 0 |
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| The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust | Midlands | 1,888 | 89.2% | 7.0 | 0 |
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| The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust | Midlands | 5,782 | 59.6% | 14.6 | 49 |
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| The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust | Midlands | 3,153 | 74.9% | 11.2 | 0 |
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| United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | Midlands | 1,375 | 90.2% | 6.1 | 0 |
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| University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | Midlands | 4,920 | 87.9% | 8.0 | 1 |
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| University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust | Midlands | 1,976 | 74.0% | 10.8 | 0 |
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| University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust | Midlands | 3,728 | 65.2% | 12.4 | 47 |
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| University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust | Midlands | 5,976 | 67.3% | 12.3 | 4 |
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| University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust | Midlands | 5,218 | 63.0% | 11.8 | 81 |
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| Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust | Midlands | 1,833 | 93.6% | 7.7 | 0 |
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| Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust | Midlands | 1,939 | 85.1% | 8.2 | 0 |
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| Wye Valley NHS Trust | Midlands | 1,870 | 54.4% | 16.5 | 34 |
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| Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 6,634 | 58.7% | 15.5 | 0 |
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| Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 2,906 | 58.0% | 15.0 | 42 |
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| East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 3,176 | 73.1% | 9.8 | 2 |
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| East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust | East of England | 3,785 | 94.5% | 8.3 | 0 |
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| James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 1,586 | 52.3% | 17.1 | 79 |
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| Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 11,056 | 66.8% | 12.3 | 73 |
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| Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 1,989 | 74.7% | 10.3 | 1 |
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| Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 3,322 | 68.3% | 11.9 | 30 |
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| North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 6,270 | 51.9% | 17.3 | 68 |
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| Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 2,099 | 61.3% | 13.6 | 18 |
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| The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust | East of England | 3,930 | 65.4% | 13.8 | 15 |
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| The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 1,432 | 66.1% | 11.9 | 1 |
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| West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | East of England | 4,564 | 77.7% | 10.8 | 0 |
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| West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | 1,059 | 75.7% | 10.7 | 5 |
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| Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 5,186 | 53.0% | 16.5 | 278 |
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| Bolton NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 2,844 | 53.8% | 16.3 | 49 |
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| Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 888 | 80.0% | 8.3 | 0 |
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| East Cheshire NHS Trust | North West | 1,431 | 51.1% | 17.7 | 12 |
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| East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust | North West | 1,862 | 91.0% | 7.1 | 0 |
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| Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 3,333 | 68.6% | 11.9 | 0 |
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| Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 3,091 | 82.8% | 8.6 | 0 |
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| Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 3,478 | 73.2% | 10.7 | 3 |
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| Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 8,044 | 61.5% | 13.9 | 43 |
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| Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | North West | 2,731 | 72.1% | 12.1 | 0 |
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| Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 1,586 | 74.4% | 11.4 | 1 |
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| North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 1,827 | 82.0% | 9.3 | 0 |
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| Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 5,402 | 65.2% | 12.4 | 1 |
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| Stockport NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 2,939 | 59.7% | 14.0 | 8 |
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| Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 891 | 92.0% | 7.0 | 0 |
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| University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 695 | 91.5% | 6.3 | 2 |
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| Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 1,296 | 75.0% | 10.8 | 1 |
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| Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North West | 3,230 | 67.9% | 10.6 | 3 |
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| Airedale NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 1,857 | 72.5% | 11.7 | 2 |
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| Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 689 | 96.5% | 7.6 | 0 |
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| Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 921 | 71.6% | 12.2 | 0 |
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| Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 1,763 | 82.2% | 9.3 | 3 |
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| County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 1,357 | 85.2% | 7.5 | 1 |
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| Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 2,321 | 82.2% | 9.0 | 1 |
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| Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 701 | 66.3% | 12.5 | 0 |
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| Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 1,346 | 64.0% | 12.5 | 0 |
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| Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 4,506 | 49.5% | 18.2 | 108 |
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| Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 3,342 | 96.2% | 4.9 | 3 |
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| Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 858 | 92.3% | 6.0 | 0 |
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| North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 2,708 | 57.6% | 15.4 | 55 |
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| North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 668 | 83.2% | 7.9 | 0 |
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| Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 2,325 | 69.5% | 11.4 | 6 |
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| Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 1,616 | 97.3% | 7.3 | 0 |
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| South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 2,151 | 74.4% | 10.6 | 40 |
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| South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 2,451 | 84.4% | 8.1 | 0 |
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| The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 2,842 | 75.6% | 10.5 | 53 |
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| The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 1,740 | 84.0% | 9.7 | 0 |
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| York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North East and Yorkshire | 2,496 | 59.1% | 14.8 | 34 |
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Which independent providers treat NHS cardiology patients?
The largest 7 of 7 independent providers with at least 50 NHS pathways waiting. The full list is in the CSV download.
Independent providers: NHS Cardiology waits, August 2026| Provider | Region | Waiting | % under 18 wks | Median wks |
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| Heart Networks | North West | 863 | 97.7% | 9.4 |
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| Dorking Healthcare Limited (Dhc) | South East | 539 | 87.8% | 8.2 |
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| Care Plus Group | North East and Yorkshire | 269 | 85.1% | 5.8 |
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| Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital | North East and Yorkshire | 112 | 57.1% | 15.3 |
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| The Hamptons Hospital Ltd | East of England | 104 | 93.3% | 3.7 |
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| Duchy Hospital | South West | 96 | 76.0% | 9.5 |
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| Nuffield Health the Holly Hospital | East of England | 51 | 100.0% | 2.7 |
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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.
Frequently asked questions
Does cardiology include heart surgery?
No. Heart operations are counted under cardiothoracic surgery, a separate and much smaller specialty listed on the operations page.
What is the average wait for cardiology on the NHS?
In August 2026, the median time waited so far was 11.9 weeks in England, and 67.9% had waited under 18 weeks. This is how long people on the list had waited at the end of the month, not a prediction.
Why is my hospital not listed?
The table shows trusts with at least 50 pathways waiting in this specialty. Some trusts record this work under a different specialty or did not submit data this month. Check the trust pages.
Can I ask to be referred somewhere else?
In England you can usually choose where you are referred for your first appointment. If you are already waiting and are likely to wait over 18 weeks, ask the hospital or your integrated care board about alternatives.
How should I cite these figures?
Waiting Times UK, “Cardiology waiting times”, NHS England RTT data for August 2026, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/waiting-times/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 1 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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