Diagnostics (DM01) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026

Endoscopy waiting times in Canterbury

Name: Endoscopy waiting times in Canterbury (August 2026)
Creator: NHS England
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

How long people are waiting for an endoscopy at the hospital trust serving Canterbury, from NHS England’s monthly diagnostics (DM01) statistics for August 2026.

Endoscopy here combines the four NHS England endoscopy tests: colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, cystoscopy and gastroscopy, where a thin camera is used to look inside the body.

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

82.4%waiting under 6 weeks

1,528people on the endoscopy waiting list

269waiting 6 weeks or more

140waiting 13 weeks or more

At the end of August 2026, 1,528 people were waiting for an endoscopy at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. 82.4% had been waiting less than 6 weeks, which is 12.8 points above the England figure of 69.6% and 16.8 points above the South East figure of 65.6%. 140 people (9.2%) had waited 13 weeks or more.

How long people on the list had waited

0–1 weeks249

1–2 weeks362

2–3 weeks230

3–4 weeks204

4–5 weeks76

5–6 weeks138

6–7 weeks36

7–8 weeks32

8–9 weeks9

9–10 weeks12

10–11 weeks10

11–12 weeks20

12–13 weeks10

13+ weeks140

East Kent Hospitals University: % waiting under 6 weeks for endoscopy England

Month	Waiting under 6 weeks	Waiting list	England under 6 weeks
August 2026	82.4%	1,528	69.6%
July 2026	87.7%	1,382	70.5%
June 2026	90.5%	1,562	69.4%
May 2026	84.6%	1,490	69.0%
April 2026	82.0%	1,584	68.6%
March 2026	82.2%	1,763	72.2%
February 2026	80.1%	1,544	72.1%

How Canterbury compares

Area	Under 6 weeks	Waiting list	13+ weeks
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust	82.4%	1,528	140
South East region	65.6%	27,523	5,282
England	69.6%	197,640	26,159

Nearby hospital trusts for endoscopys

Trusts serving neighbouring towns, ordered by the share of their list waiting under 6 weeks. In England you can usually ask your GP which hospitals you could be referred to; waiting lists change from month to month.

Trust	Distance (town)	Under 6 weeks	Waiting list	13+ weeks
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust	about 55 miles	98.8%	2,106	2
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	about 37 miles	96.8%	759	8
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust	about 39 miles	94.7%	413	14
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	about 55 miles	94.0%	1,713	6
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	about 56 miles	85.9%	990	37
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust	about 24 miles	81.1%	966	79
Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	about 53 miles	79.4%	1,203	40
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust	about 51 miles	76.8%	724	29
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust	about 48 miles	70.5%	1,513	170
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust	about 54 miles	64.4%	3,173	457
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust	about 56 miles	58.6%	4,276	844

Endoscopy waits in nearby towns

Nearby town	Distance	Main trust or board	Endoscopy under 6 weeks	Waiting list
Ashford	13 miles	East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust	82.4%	1,528
Maidstone	24 miles	Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust	81.1%	966
Hastings	37 miles	East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	96.8%	759
Dartford	39 miles	Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust	94.7%	413
Greenwich	48 miles	Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust	70.5%	1,513
Eastbourne	50 miles	East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	96.8%	759
Croydon	51 miles	Croydon Health Services NHS Trust	76.8%	724
Hackney	53 miles	Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	79.4%	1,203

More for Canterbury: all waiting times · A&E · MRI · CT · Ultrasound. National picture: Endoscopy waiting times in England.

Understanding the 6-week figure

NHS England counts everyone on the waiting list for a test at the end of each month and how many weeks they have waited since referral. The standard is that fewer than 1% of patients wait 6 weeks or more. Urgent referrals, including suspected cancer, are usually prioritised, so routine waits can be longer than the average suggests. If your wait is much longer than you were told, contact the hospital’s booking team or the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

Frequently asked questions

How long is the wait for an endoscopy in Canterbury?

At the end of August 2026, 82.4% of the 1,528 people waiting at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust had waited under 6 weeks, and 140 had waited 13 weeks or more. The England figure was 69.6% under 6 weeks.

Are Endoscopy waits in Canterbury getting shorter?

The share waiting under 6 weeks at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust was 80.1% in February 2026 and 82.4% in August 2026, up 2.3 points.

Can I have my endoscopy somewhere else?

In England you can usually discuss with your GP or the referring clinician which hospitals or community diagnostic centres you could be referred to. Waiting times at nearby trusts are listed on this page as a starting point.

How often are these figures 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.