At a glance: 27,681 people were waiting for NHS treatment at Dartford and Gravesham in June 2026, spread across 10 specialties, and 846 of them had already waited more than a year. The hardest specialty to be seen quickly was cardiology — only 43% of patients seen within the 18-week target and a median wait of 20 weeks — while elderly medicine was quickest at 86%.
Treatment waiting times at Dartford and Gravesham
| Specialty | People waiting | Seen within 18 weeks | Waiting over a year | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiology | 2,202 | 43% | 5 | 20 weeks |
| Trauma & orthopaedics | 4,887 | 51% | 280 | 17 weeks |
| General surgery | 7,264 | 57% | 402 | 14 weeks |
| Gynaecology | 4,660 | 59% | 126 | 14 weeks |
| Gastroenterology | 2,328 | 65% | 0 | 12 weeks |
| Neurology | 1,295 | 66% | 0 | 13 weeks |
| Urology | 2,805 | 68% | 33 | 10 weeks |
| General medicine | 782 | 69% | 0 | 9 weeks |
| Respiratory medicine | 1,133 | 71% | 0 | 10 weeks |
| Elderly medicine | 325 | 86% | 0 | 6 weeks |
Diagnostic test waiting times at Dartford and Gravesham
| Test | People waiting | Waiting beyond 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrasound | 8,781 | 12% |
| Echocardiography | 728 | 2% |
| Colonoscopy | 221 | 1% |
| MRI | 925 | 0% |
| CT | 823 | 0% |
| Barium enema | 82 | 0% |
| DEXA scan | 176 | 0% |
| Flexible sigmoidoscopy | 72 | 0% |
| Gastroscopy | 129 | 0% |
The six-week point is where the NHS counts a diagnostic wait as a breach; at Dartford and Gravesham the longest was ultrasound, with 12% past it and 8,781 people in the queue.
Skip the 20-week wait
Waiting 20 weeks for cardiology at Dartford and Gravesham is a long time to be in pain or limbo. Private cover can have you seen by a consultant in days rather than months. It will not pay for a condition you are already waiting on, so it only helps if arranged before a problem starts — compare cover, see whether it is worth it, or get a free quote now.
Frequently asked questions
Can private cover skip the waiting list at Dartford and Gravesham? Yes for a new problem, no for one you are already waiting to have treated — here is what private cover gets you over the NHS. For the national picture see cardiology waits across England or our NHS waiting-time guides.
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.