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A&E data for September 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Diagnostics (DM01) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Referral to treatment (RTT) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026

NHS waiting times in Eastbourne

Waits near Eastbourne at a glance

A&E – East Sussex Healthcare NOT LIVE

3 in 4 (74.1%)

people at A&E were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours. At the main (type 1) A&E it was 2 in 3 (66.7%).

Official monthly figure for Sep 2026 · published 8 October 2026 · NHS England

Live waits are not published for Eastbourne. Not sure you need A&E? Use NHS 111 online or call 111.

Nearby A&E and how Eastbourne compares →

Other waits in Eastbourne

Eastbourne, East Sussex, is served mainly by East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. This page brings together the latest published NHS England figures for A&E, scans and tests, and planned hospital treatment at that trust, with trends and comparisons against the South East region and England.

Eastbourne: local hospitals and referrals

  • Nearest East Sussex Healthcare hospital: Eastbourne District General Hospital (BN21 2UD), about 1 mile from central Eastbourne.
  • Usually referred to: patients in Eastbourne are usually referred to East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the nearest major hospital. Your GP or referrer can tell you where you would go.
  • Nearest community diagnostic centre: Bexhill CDC (TN39 3LJ), about 9 miles away. Source: NHS England CDC activity data, Aug 2026.
  • Integrated care board: NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB.

A&E waiting times in Eastbourne

74.1%of A&E attendances admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours (September 2026)
66.7%within 4 hours at the main (type 1) A&E
16,117A&E attendances in the month
215waited over 12 hours from decision to admit

In September 2026, 74.1% of the 16,117 people attending A&E at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours. That is 0.3 points below the England average of 74.4% and 2.1 points below the South East average of 76.2%. It ranks 51 of 120 trusts with a major A&E in England and 9 of 17 in South East (1 = highest share within 4 hours). At the main emergency department (type 1), 66.7% spent 4 hours or less, against 60.6% across England. 2,463 patients were admitted as emergencies through A&E, and 215 waited more than 12 hours from the decision to admit them to being admitted.

Over the last 13 months the 4-hour figure has ranged from 68.8% (January 2026) to 78.0% (September 2025); it is down 3.9 points since September 2025.

East Sussex Healthcare: % within 4 hours of arrival67%70%73%76%79%Sep 25Nov 25Jan 26Mar 26May 26Jul 26Sep 26

East Sussex Healthcare: % within 4 hours of arrival England

Full A&E page for Eastbourne: 13-month history, nearby A&E departments and what to do if it is not an emergency.

Scan and test waiting times in Eastbourne

Diagnostic waiting lists at East Sussex Healthcare, end of August 2026
TestWaiting listWaiting under 6 weeksWaiting 13+ weeksEngland under 6 weeks
MRI2,03093.6%1678.0%
CT1,33699.6%088.8%
Ultrasound1,71199.2%078.3%
Endoscopy75996.8%869.6%

Detailed pages: MRI scan waiting times in Eastbourne · CT scan waiting times in Eastbourne · Ultrasound waiting times in Eastbourne · Endoscopy waiting times in Eastbourne.

Waiting times for planned hospital treatment

11.3 wksmedian wait (England 12.2 weeks)
69.0%waiting under 18 weeks (England 65.2%)
55,478people waiting for consultant-led treatment
338waiting over 52 weeks

At the end of August 2026, 55,478 people were waiting to start consultant-led treatment at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. Half had waited less than 11.3 weeks (England: 12.2 weeks) and 69.0% had waited under 18 weeks, 3.8 points above the England figure of 65.2%. The NHS constitution standard is 92% within 18 weeks.

Largest specialty waiting lists
SpecialtyWaitingMedian weeksUnder 18 weeksOver 52 weeksEngland median weeks
Trauma and Orthopaedic10,2079.577.9%7813.9
Ear Nose and Throat5,26913.860.6%015.4
Gynaecology5,20516.154.8%11514.2
General Surgery4,71410.973.0%2612.8
Urology4,53415.854.7%7612.2
Cardiology4,18913.064.9%1311.9
Other - Medicals3,89712.164.7%710.7
Ophthalmology3,7168.879.7%110.4
East Sussex Healthcare: median RTT wait (weeks)1011121314Feb 26Mar 26Apr 26May 26Jun 26Jul 26Aug 26

East Sussex Healthcare: median RTT wait (weeks) England

ADHD and autism assessment waits in the local ICB area

ADHD: in June 2026 there were 63,640 open referrals that may be for an ADHD assessment in NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board. 41,730 (65.6%) had been open for a year or more, compared with 57.8% across England. 49,265 had no first contact recorded yet. ADHD waits by area.

Autism: in June 2026, 18,375 people had an open suspected autism referral in this ICB area, and 16,140 (87.8%) had been waiting at least 13 weeks (England 86.8%). Autism waits by area.

NHS England counts open referrals that may be for ADHD. It describes these figures as management information and experimental statistics, so they are approximate and depend on how services record referrals. See also mental health waiting times.

Nearby towns

A&E performance at the main trust for the nearest towns on this site.

What these figures mean

The 4-hour A&E figure is the share of people who were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours of arriving. The NHS constitution standard is 95%. The diagnostics figures show how long people on the waiting list for a test had waited at the end of the month; the standard is that fewer than 1% wait 6 weeks or more. The referral to treatment (RTT) figures cover people waiting to start consultant-led treatment, against a standard of 92% within 18 weeks. These are averages for a whole trust and do not predict how long any one person will wait.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the A&E wait in Eastbourne?

In September 2026, 74.1% of A&E attendances at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours, against 74.4% across England. 215 patients waited more than 12 hours from decision to admit. Actual waits depend on how urgent your condition is.

How long is the wait for an MRI scan in Eastbourne?

At the end of August 2026, 93.6% of the 2,030 people waiting for an MRI scan at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust had waited under 6 weeks (England 78.0%).

How long is the wait for a CT scan in Eastbourne?

At the end of August 2026, 99.6% of the 1,336 people waiting for a CT scan at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust had waited under 6 weeks (England 88.8%).

How long is the wait for hospital treatment in Eastbourne?

The median wait for consultant-led treatment at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust was 11.3 weeks at the end of August 2026, and 69.0% of patients had waited under 18 weeks.

Which NHS trust serves Eastbourne?

Eastbourne is mapped to East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust on this site, based on the nearest major hospitals. Some patients may be treated by other trusts depending on where they live and are referred.

How often are these waiting times updated?

NHS England publishes A&E, diagnostics (DM01) and referral to treatment (RTT) statistics every month, usually on the second Thursday. A&E figures cover the previous month; diagnostics and RTT figures are a month further behind. This site refreshes when new files are published.