Cardiology covers heart conditions, from chest pain and palpitations to heart failure. At the end of June 2026, 365,541 people in England were waiting for cardiology treatment. Just 68% were seen within the 18-week target, and 2,879 had already waited more than a year — the sort of queue private treatment can skip for anything you are not already being treated for.
Where cardiology waits are worst
| NHS trust | People waiting | Seen within 18 weeks | Waiting over a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartford and Gravesham | 2,202 | 43% | 5 |
| Bolton | 3,214 | 47% | 16 |
| Isle of Wight | 900 | 47% | 0 |
| The Hillingdon Hospitals | 2,180 | 47% | 15 |
| Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals | 5,153 | 49% | 18 |
| Cambridge University Hospitals | 3,108 | 51% | 115 |
| James Paget University Hospitals | 1,574 | 51% | 69 |
| Blackpool Teaching Hospitals | 5,298 | 52% | 263 |
| Hull University Teaching Hospitals | 4,807 | 52% | 93 |
| North West Anglia | 6,927 | 52% | 76 |
| East Kent Hospitals University | 5,303 | 52% | 659 |
| East Cheshire | 1,428 | 53% | 22 |
The 18-week target is the point at which the NHS says treatment should have started. In the trusts above, most cardiology patients had already waited longer.
Skip the queue with private treatment
Nobody wants to spend months on a cardiology waiting list. Private cover can have you seen by a consultant in days, not months. It will not pay for a condition you are already waiting on, so arrange it before a problem starts — compare cover, see if it is worth it, or get a free quote.
Frequently asked questions
What does private cardiology cost? Private hospitals publish self-pay prices, and cover pays for treatment arranged before symptoms begin.
Can I switch to private care once I am on the NHS list? You can pay privately at any time, but insurance will not cover a condition you are already waiting to have treated — that is why cover is worth arranging while you are well.
Source: NHS England Referral to Treatment (RTT) and Diagnostics (DM01) waiting-times statistics, June 2026; self-pay figures from UK private hospitals’ own published price lists. Waiting-list figures change monthly.