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
A&E – University Hospitals Dorset NOT LIVE
7 in 10 (71.8%)
people at A&E were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours. At the main (type 1) A&E it was 2 in 3 (64.8%).
Official monthly figure for Sep 2026 · published 8 October 2026 · NHS England
Live waits are not published for Poole. Not sure you need A&E? Use NHS 111 online or call 111.
Nearby A&E and how Poole compares →Poole, Dorset, is served mainly by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation 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 West region and England.
In September 2026, 71.8% of the 20,484 people attending A&E at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours. That is 2.6 points below the England average of 74.4% and in line with the South West average of 71.8%. It ranks 65 of 120 trusts with a major A&E in England and 3 of 12 in South West (1 = highest share within 4 hours). At the main emergency department (type 1), 64.8% spent 4 hours or less, against 60.6% across England. 4,194 patients were admitted as emergencies through A&E, and 342 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 63.0% (January 2026) to 72.2% (July 2026); it is up 1.2 points since September 2025.
University Hospitals Dorset: % within 4 hours of arrival England
Full A&E page for Poole: 13-month history, nearby A&E departments and what to do if it is not an emergency.
| Test | Waiting list | Waiting under 6 weeks | Waiting 13+ weeks | England under 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRI | 2,736 | 97.7% | 24 | 78.0% |
| CT | 1,576 | 99.7% | 2 | 88.8% |
| Ultrasound | 2,572 | 99.1% | 3 | 78.3% |
| Endoscopy | 2,749 | 76.5% | 159 | 69.6% |
Detailed pages: MRI scan waiting times in Poole · CT scan waiting times in Poole · Ultrasound waiting times in Poole · Endoscopy waiting times in Poole.
At the end of August 2026, 67,260 people were waiting to start consultant-led treatment at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust. Half had waited less than 12.4 weeks (England: 12.2 weeks) and 66.0% had waited under 18 weeks, 0.8 points above the England figure of 65.2%. The NHS constitution standard is 92% within 18 weeks.
| Specialty | Waiting | Median weeks | Under 18 weeks | Over 52 weeks | England median weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other - Surgicals | 8,682 | 13.0 | 61.6% | 87 | 11.4 |
| Trauma and Orthopaedic | 8,476 | 16.7 | 53.7% | 238 | 13.9 |
| Gynaecology | 7,061 | 18.6 | 49.0% | 238 | 14.2 |
| Ear Nose and Throat | 5,874 | 15.7 | 55.9% | 11 | 15.4 |
| Gastroenterology | 5,068 | 9.2 | 85.4% | 0 | 11.0 |
| Ophthalmology | 4,827 | 12.5 | 72.1% | 0 | 10.4 |
| Dermatology | 4,526 | 11.1 | 66.6% | 48 | 10.5 |
| Other - Medicals | 3,609 | 10.1 | 73.0% | 0 | 10.7 |
University Hospitals Dorset: median RTT wait (weeks) England
ADHD: in June 2026 there were 7,205 open referrals that may be for an ADHD assessment in NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board. 3,465 (48.1%) had been open for a year or more, compared with 57.8% across England. 4,705 had no first contact recorded yet. ADHD waits by area.
Autism: in June 2026, 1,610 people had an open suspected autism referral in this ICB area, and 1,305 (81.1%) 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.
A&E performance at the main trust for the nearest towns on this site.
| Nearby town | Distance | Main trust or board | Within 4 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth | 4 miles | University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust | 71.8% |
| Dorchester | 20 miles | Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 78.6% |
| Weymouth | 22 miles | Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 78.6% |
| Southampton | 29 miles | University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust | 70.7% |
| Yeovil | 32 miles | Somerset NHS Foundation Trust | 71.7% |
| Winchester | 37 miles | Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 62.5% |
| Portsmouth | 39 miles | Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust | 71.3% |
| Bath | 48 miles | Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust | 56.7% |
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.
In September 2026, 71.8% of A&E attendances at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours, against 74.4% across England. 342 patients waited more than 12 hours from decision to admit. Actual waits depend on how urgent your condition is.
At the end of August 2026, 97.7% of the 2,736 people waiting for an MRI scan at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust had waited under 6 weeks (England 78.0%).
At the end of August 2026, 99.7% of the 1,576 people waiting for a CT scan at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust had waited under 6 weeks (England 88.8%).
The median wait for consultant-led treatment at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust was 12.4 weeks at the end of August 2026, and 66.0% of patients had waited under 18 weeks.
Poole is mapped to University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation 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.
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.