NHS Cardiac electrophysiology waiting times
Also called: EP study, heart rhythm test.
Cardiac electrophysiology tests assess the heart's electrical system to find the cause of abnormal heart rhythms. They are used to investigate palpitations, blackouts and known or suspected arrhythmias. There is no single national wait: it depends heavily on which hospital you are sent to, and the spread between hospitals is large. Below, the NHS trusts reporting Electrophysiology to NHS England are ranked by median wait, shortest first.
Compiled by Dr Mustafa Ghafouri (MBChB, MSc) · NHS England DM01 data, August 2026
Typical hospital wait
3 weeks
median across 6 NHS trusts
Fastest hospital
about 1 week
shortest published median
Hospitals compared
6
6 NHS trusts reporting Electrophysiology
Cardiac electrophysiology waits by hospital, shortest first
Median wait and the percentage of patients seen within 6 weeks — the NHS operational standard for diagnostics. Hospitals with very few patients waiting are excluded so a median is meaningful.
| # | Hospital or provider | Median wait | Within 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University Hospitals of Leicester NHS TrustLeicester | about 1 week | 100% |
| 2 | Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondon | 2 weeks | 100% |
| 3 | East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation TrustColchester | 3 weeks | 100% |
| 4 | Harrogate and District NHS Foundation TrustHarrogate | 3 weeks | 64% |
| 5 | King's College Hospital NHS Foundation TrustLondon | 4 weeks | 50% |
| 6 | Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation TrustLondon | 12 weeks | 11% |
Can I choose where I have my Electrophysiology?
For a planned, non-urgent diagnostic test you can ask. If your GP refers you to a consultant-led service, you have a legal right, with exceptions, to choose the provider — including one with a shorter wait. For a test your GP orders directly, ask your GP whether you can have it at a different hospital. Most people are never told this and go to their nearest by default. If the test leads to a referral, you can also compare NHS waiting times for treatment at hospital trusts in England.
Where these numbers come from
Waits are from NHS England's monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity (DM01) statistics, for August 2026. Each figure is the provider's median wait for that test; “within 6 weeks” is the NHS operational standard. Nothing here is medical advice — the site surfaces the published data so you and your GP can use it.
Frequently asked questions
- How long is the NHS wait for Cardiac electrophysiology?
- There is no single national wait — it depends on which hospital you are sent to. Electrophysiology waits vary between hospitals, sometimes several-fold, so the useful thing is to compare your own area. The table above ranks the NHS trusts reporting Electrophysiology to NHS England, shortest median wait first, from NHS England's DM01 diagnostic figures.
- Can I choose which hospital does my Cardiac electrophysiology?
- For a planned, non-urgent test, you can ask. If your GP refers you to a consultant-led service, you have a legal right, with exceptions, to choose the provider, including one with a shorter wait — the NHS Right to Choose. For a test your GP orders directly, ask your GP whether you can have it at a different hospital. Most people are never told this and go to their nearest by default. It does not apply to urgent or emergency tests.
- What does "seen within 6 weeks" mean for Cardiac electrophysiology?
- Six weeks is the NHS operational standard for diagnostic tests — patients should wait no longer than that. The "within 6 weeks" figure for each hospital is the share of its patients who met that standard; the median is the typical wait. Both come from NHS England's monthly DM01 statistics.
Compare other NHS scans and tests
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See also our guide to NHS cardiology waiting times.