NHS Cardiology Waiting Times
The average NHS Cardiology wait in England is 18 weeks, but it ranges from 4 weeks at Buckhurst Hill Essex Nuffield to 44 weeks elsewhere. That gap is yours to use — you have a legal right to choose where you are treated.
What Cardiology covers
Cardiology covers the heart — chest pain, palpitations, an irregular heartbeat such as atrial fibrillation, heart failure, high blood pressure that is hard to control, and heart murmurs. Most people need a heart tracing, an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) or a monitor before a treatment plan is made.
People are usually referred here for
- Chest pain on exertion
- Palpitations or an irregular heartbeat
- Breathlessness or suspected heart failure
- A heart murmur found by a GP
- An abnormal ECG
- Blood pressure that will not come down
18w
Avg treatment wait
4w
Shortest wait
44w
Longest wait
126
Hospitals reporting
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Shortest Cardiology waits in England
| # | Hospital | Region | Avg treatment wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Buckhurst Hill Essex Nuffield | East of England | 4w |
| 02 | Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | South East | 7w |
| 03 | South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust | Midlands | 8w |
| 04 | Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | North East & Yorkshire | 8w |
| 05 | Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust | Midlands | 8w |
| 06 | Northumbria Health Care NHS Foundation Trust | North East & Yorkshire | 8w |
| 07 | North Tees | North East & Yorkshire | 9w |
| 08 | Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | South East | 9w |
| 09 | South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust | North East & Yorkshire | 9w |
| 10 | Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | North East & Yorkshire | 10w |
Average Cardiology wait by region
Procedures treated under Cardiology
Waiting lists are recorded by specialty, so all of these share the Cardiology wait times above.
Browse all conditions →Were you referred somewhere else?
The same problem is sometimes handled by a different department, and the wait can be very different. Check these too:
Your right to choose a Cardiology hospital
Under the NHS Constitution and the Health Act 2009, you have a legal right to choose which NHS or NHS-commissioned independent sector provider sees you for your first outpatient Cardiology appointment.
Your GP must refer you via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) and offer you at least five choices. If you have already been referred to a hospital with a long wait, you can ask your GP to re-refer you to a provider with a shorter wait. This is entirely within your rights.
Research shows the average extra distance to a significantly shorter wait is just 13 miles.
Read the full Cardiology Right to Choose guide →Ready to find a shorter Cardiology wait?
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