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Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

NHS trust · South West · England · code RBD

This page reports published statistics; it is not medical advice and does not rate the trust.

NHS England counted 23,094 referral-to-treatment pathways waiting at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust at the end of August 2026. That is up 4% from 22,300 in August 2025.

At the end of August 2026, 60.3% of the pathways waiting at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust had been waiting under 18 weeks, according to NHS England. That is 1.6 percentage points higher than in August 2025 (58.7%). That is 31.7 points below the 92% the standard sets out.

In September 2026, 78.6% of A&E attendances at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust ended in admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours, NHS England reports. That is 1.3 percentage points lower than in September 2025 (79.9%). That is 16.4 points below the 95% the standard sets out.

In August 2026, 77.6% of patients on the 62-day cancer pathway at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust started treatment within 62 days, NHS England reports. That is 1.9 percentage points lower than in April 2025 (79.5%). That is 7.4 points below the 85% the standard sets out.

At the end of August 2026, 21.5% of the people on the diagnostic waiting list at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust had been waiting six weeks or more, NHS England reports. That is 10.6 percentage points lower than in August 2025 (32.1%).

The Care Quality Commission's latest published overall rating for Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is “Good”, published on 6 November 2018.

Planned care waiting times

Waiting list (referral to treatment)
23,094
August 2026 · NHS England
Incomplete pathways: a person waiting for two treatments counts twice.
Waiting under 18 weeks
60.3%
August 2026 · NHS England
Standard: NHS England reports waiting times against the 92% standard: 92% of patients waiting to start treatment should have waited less than 18 weeks. Source
Waiting more than 52 weeks
370
August 2026 · NHS England
23k21k August 2025August 2026
62.7%0.0% August 2025August 2026
399243 August 2025August 2026
Waiting list (referral to treatment)
August 202522,300
September 202521,410
October 202521,238
November 202521,125
December 202520,834
January 202621,205
February 202621,134
March 202621,492
April 202621,963
May 202622,349
June 202622,640
July 202623,375
August 202623,094
Waiting under 18 weeks
August 202558.7%
September 202560.2%
October 202560.4%
November 202561.0%
December 202560.9%
January 202661.9%
February 202661.0%
March 202662.7%
April 202660.3%
May 202661.0%
June 202660.5%
July 202660.0%
August 202660.3%
Waiting more than 52 weeks
August 2025365
September 2025303
October 2025283
November 2025262
December 2025270
January 2026317
February 2026323
March 2026243
April 2026296
May 2026356
June 2026399
July 2026379
August 2026370

A&E

A&E: seen within 4 hours (all types)
78.6%
September 2026 · NHS England
Standard: NHS England: the operational standard for A&E waiting times is that 95% of patients should be admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours of arrival. Source
A&E: waits of 12 hours or more from decision to admit
70
September 2026 · NHS England
Counts patients who waited 12 hours or more from the decision to admit to admission (sometimes called trolley waits), not 12 hours from arrival.
A&E attendances in the month
9,691
September 2026 · NHS England
82.0%0.0% September 2025September 2026
11421 September 2025September 2026
11k7,597 September 2025September 2026
A&E: seen within 4 hours (all types)
September 202579.9%
October 202582.0%
November 202580.7%
December 202577.5%
January 202677.7%
February 202676.8%
March 202679.0%
April 202678.7%
May 202674.4%
June 202674.9%
July 202679.3%
August 202676.9%
September 202678.6%
A&E: waits of 12 hours or more from decision to admit
September 202574
October 202580
November 202561
December 202563
January 2026114
February 202691
March 202692
April 202643
May 202685
June 202661
July 202645
August 202621
September 202670
A&E attendances in the month
September 20259,105
October 20259,324
November 20258,513
December 20258,956
January 20268,640
February 20267,597
March 20269,089
April 20269,523
May 202610,203
June 202610,053
July 202610,575
August 202610,503
September 20269,691

Cancer waiting times

Cancer: told within 28 days (Faster Diagnosis Standard)
76.6%
August 2026 · NHS England
Standard: NHS England: the operational standard is that 80% of people are told they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out, within 28 days of an urgent referral. Source
Cancer: treated within 31 days of decision to treat
90.2%
August 2026 · NHS England
Standard: NHS England: the operational standard is that 96% of people begin treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat. Source
Cancer: treated within 62 days
77.6%
August 2026 · NHS England
Standard: NHS England: the operational standard is that 85% of people begin first definitive treatment within 62 days. Source
83.9%0.0% April 2025August 2026
98.5%0.0% April 2025August 2026
79.5%0.0% April 2025August 2026
Cancer: told within 28 days (Faster Diagnosis Standard)
April 202570.6%
May 202567.0%
June 202575.7%
July 202572.1%
August 202567.5%
September 202566.0%
October 202574.9%
November 202574.8%
December 202577.5%
January 202674.1%
February 202683.9%
March 202678.0%
April 202678.1%
May 202675.9%
July 202678.7%
August 202676.6%
Cancer: treated within 31 days of decision to treat
April 202593.4%
May 202591.5%
June 202595.4%
July 202595.2%
August 202592.1%
September 202594.8%
October 202594.9%
November 202592.5%
December 202593.6%
January 202694.7%
February 202698.3%
March 202698.5%
April 202695.1%
May 202694.5%
July 202691.1%
August 202690.2%
Cancer: treated within 62 days
April 202579.5%
May 202568.9%
June 202567.7%
July 202567.5%
August 202568.0%
September 202566.9%
October 202572.6%
November 202566.2%
December 202576.3%
January 202672.8%
February 202676.4%
March 202673.7%
April 202671.7%
May 202663.1%
June 202626.7%
July 202661.4%
August 202677.6%

Diagnostic tests

Waiting six weeks or more for a diagnostic test
21.5%
August 2026 · NHS England
Standard: NHS England: the operational standard is that less than 1% of patients should wait six weeks or more for a diagnostic test. Source
Diagnostic waiting list
5,562
August 2026 · NHS England
39.5%0.0% August 2025August 2026
7,1765,562 August 2025August 2026
Waiting six weeks or more for a diagnostic test
August 202532.1%
September 202530.7%
October 202529.7%
November 202528.9%
December 202539.5%
January 202636.1%
February 202624.4%
March 202622.6%
April 202623.0%
May 202623.7%
June 202622.4%
July 202619.8%
August 202621.5%
Diagnostic waiting list
August 20256,680
September 20256,683
October 20257,112
November 20257,176
December 20256,822
January 20266,669
February 20266,316
March 20265,970
April 20265,967
May 20265,612
June 20265,913
July 20265,897
August 20265,562

Care Quality Commission rating

The Care Quality Commission's latest published overall rating for Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is “Good”, published on 6 November 2018. CQC page for this provider.

Hospital sites

Main hospital sites registered to Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the NHS Organisation Data Service. Figures on this page are for the whole organisation, not for individual sites.

Comparing the UK nations

England measures planned-care waits from referral to treatment against an 18-week standard, and diagnostic waits against six weeks. Scotland and Wales measure differently, so their figures are not directly comparable (NHS England notes that each UK country has its own targets and standards).

Local areas

Council areas linked to this organisation: Dorset

Where Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust sits in the ladder of power

The bodies above Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the council areas it serves. How the ten levels work.

  1. Level 4: County councils, combined authorities and metro mayors

    • Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust this page

  2. Level 6: National government

  3. Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies

  4. Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies

  5. Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance

    • International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
    • World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.

  6. Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums

    • G7 The UK is one of the seven members.
    • G20 The UK is a G20 member.

Related figures

NHS waiting list (England) · NHS employment

Sources

NHS trusts and health boards · how these figures are presented · built 15 October 2026