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Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

NHS trust · South West · England · code REF

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

NHS England counted 44,996 referral-to-treatment pathways waiting at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust at the end of August 2026. That is up 9% from 41,244 in August 2025. It is the highest figure in the 13 periods shown here.

At the end of August 2026, 73.1% of the pathways waiting at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust had been waiting under 18 weeks, according to NHS England. That is 2.0 percentage points higher than in August 2025 (71.1%). That is 18.9 points below the 92% the standard sets out.

In September 2026, 75.5% of A&E attendances at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust ended in admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours, NHS England reports. That is 6.5 percentage points lower than in September 2025 (82.0%). That is 19.5 points below the 95% the standard sets out.

In August 2026, 78.7% of patients on the 62-day cancer pathway at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust started treatment within 62 days, NHS England reports. That is 0.1 percentage points lower than in April 2025 (78.8%). That is 6.3 points below the 85% the standard sets out.

At the end of August 2026, 18.6% of the people on the diagnostic waiting list at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust had been waiting six weeks or more, NHS England reports. That is 0.6 percentage points lower than in August 2025 (19.2%).

The Care Quality Commission's latest published overall rating for Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust is “Requires improvement”, published on 26 February 2020.

Planned care waiting times

Waiting list (referral to treatment)
44,996
August 2026 · NHS England
Incomplete pathways: a person waiting for two treatments counts twice.
Waiting under 18 weeks
73.1%
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
446
August 2026 · NHS England
45k40k August 2025August 2026
74.3%0.0% August 2025August 2026
487247 August 2025August 2026
Waiting list (referral to treatment)
August 202541,244
September 202540,486
October 202540,742
November 202540,984
December 202541,187
January 202640,916
February 202640,839
March 202641,856
April 202642,098
May 202642,570
June 202643,268
July 202644,267
August 202644,996
Waiting under 18 weeks
August 202571.1%
September 202571.4%
October 202572.4%
November 202572.9%
December 202573.1%
January 202672.9%
February 202672.2%
March 202673.6%
April 202673.6%
May 202674.0%
June 202674.3%
July 202673.9%
August 202673.1%
Waiting more than 52 weeks
August 2025432
September 2025334
October 2025312
November 2025298
December 2025254
January 2026247
February 2026274
March 2026249
April 2026297
May 2026406
June 2026463
July 2026487
August 2026446

A&E

A&E: seen within 4 hours (all types)
75.5%
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
497
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
19,689
September 2026 · NHS England
82.0%0.0% September 2025September 2026
773467 September 2025September 2026
23k16k September 2025September 2026
A&E: seen within 4 hours (all types)
September 202582.0%
October 202580.2%
November 202580.5%
December 202577.8%
January 202674.8%
February 202674.5%
March 202679.6%
April 202678.7%
May 202675.7%
June 202674.8%
July 202675.0%
August 202675.4%
September 202675.5%
A&E: waits of 12 hours or more from decision to admit
September 2025545
October 2025626
November 2025599
December 2025581
January 2026773
February 2026529
March 2026467
April 2026581
May 2026653
June 2026620
July 2026573
August 2026571
September 2026497
A&E attendances in the month
September 202518,460
October 202518,281
November 202516,740
December 202517,162
January 202617,447
February 202616,225
March 202619,564
April 202619,038
May 202621,023
June 202621,080
July 202623,243
August 202622,446
September 202619,689

Cancer waiting times

Cancer: told within 28 days (Faster Diagnosis Standard)
82.1%
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
91.5%
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
78.7%
August 2026 · NHS England
Standard: NHS England: the operational standard is that 85% of people begin first definitive treatment within 62 days. Source
82.8%0.0% April 2025August 2026
97.4%0.0% April 2025August 2026
86.1%0.0% April 2025August 2026
Cancer: told within 28 days (Faster Diagnosis Standard)
April 202581.3%
May 202580.3%
June 202579.1%
July 202581.1%
August 202579.6%
September 202575.7%
October 202579.8%
November 202576.9%
December 202579.7%
January 202672.9%
February 202678.2%
March 202679.1%
April 202676.3%
May 202679.1%
June 202682.8%
July 202681.9%
August 202682.1%
Cancer: treated within 31 days of decision to treat
April 202592.3%
May 202594.6%
June 202593.6%
July 202595.8%
August 202596.9%
September 202596.7%
October 202596.7%
November 202594.8%
December 202597.4%
January 202696.2%
February 202691.6%
March 202693.4%
April 202692.4%
May 202693.2%
June 202694.9%
July 202691.8%
August 202691.5%
Cancer: treated within 62 days
April 202578.8%
May 202582.0%
June 202584.3%
July 202586.1%
August 202582.8%
September 202584.1%
October 202582.4%
November 202580.4%
December 202583.1%
January 202673.7%
February 202674.6%
March 202675.7%
April 202678.3%
May 202678.0%
June 202679.5%
July 202678.1%
August 202678.7%

Diagnostic tests

Waiting six weeks or more for a diagnostic test
18.6%
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
8,926
August 2026 · NHS England
19.2%0.0% August 2025August 2026
11k8,926 August 2025August 2026
Waiting six weeks or more for a diagnostic test
August 202519.2%
September 202516.2%
October 202513.1%
November 202512.5%
December 202512.9%
January 202614.6%
February 20268.2%
March 202611.6%
April 202616.0%
May 202616.6%
June 202618.7%
July 202618.1%
August 202618.6%
Diagnostic waiting list
August 202510,156
September 202510,153
October 202510,537
November 202510,960
December 20259,966
January 20269,161
February 20269,380
March 20269,448
April 20269,087
May 20269,098
June 20269,286
July 20269,401
August 20268,926

Care Quality Commission rating

The Care Quality Commission's latest published overall rating for Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust is “Requires improvement”, published on 26 February 2020. CQC page for this provider.

Hospital sites

Main hospital sites registered to Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS 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: Cornwall

Where Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust sits in the ladder of power

The bodies above Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust and the council areas it serves. How the ten levels work.

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

    • Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS 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