Catheter ablation waiting times on the NHS
The NHS waiting list for catheter ablation is counted under cardiology: in August 2026, 9 in 10 people on it at a typical hospital had waited less than 31 weeks (NHS England). Ablation is carried out by heart rhythm (electrophysiology) teams at a smaller number of hospitals, so a cardiology figure at a hospital without one says little about ablation there.
Shortest waits for cardiology, August 2026
- Nuffield Health the Holly Hospital 8 weeks most people Free on the NHS See this hospital
- Heart Networks 14 weeks most people Free on the NHS See this hospital
- LGI and St James's 14 weeks most people See this hospital
- Barnsley 16 weeks most people See this hospital
- Lister 16 weeks most people See this hospital
- The Hamptons Hospital Ltd 16 weeks most people Free on the NHS See this hospital
- Chelsea and Westminster and West Middlesex 17 weeks most people See this hospital
- Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital 17 weeks most people See this hospital
Every hospital in England, or pick your area: Enfield Manchester Birmingham Leeds Newcastle upon Tyne Sheffield Liverpool
Latest monthly: NHS England, . Data checked .
What the wait includes
The wait runs from referral to the ablation. It often includes a cardiology appointment, heart rhythm tests and a referral on to a specialist centre. If you are referred on, the clock keeps running from your first referral.
How to be treated sooner
Fewer hospitals offer ablation, so the choice is narrower than for most procedures. Your right to choose still applies at referral: ask which heart rhythm centres take NHS referrals and compare their cardiology waits.
Questions people ask
How long is the NHS waiting list for catheter ablation?
Waits are published for cardiology as a whole, not catheter ablation alone. In August 2026, at a typical hospital most people on the waiting list had waited less than 31 weeks; the shortest was Nuffield Health the Holly Hospital, 8 weeks.
Why does my local hospital not do ablation?
Ablation needs a heart rhythm (electrophysiology) lab, which only some hospitals have. Others refer patients to one that does.
Is ablation for atrial fibrillation counted separately?
No. Ablation for atrial fibrillation and for other heart rhythm problems is all counted under cardiology.