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Bolton NHS Foundation Trust

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Care Quality Commission

What CQC currently says

CQC rates Bolton NHS Foundation Trust Good overall. These are the judgements underneath it. They are separate judgements and CQC does not add them together.

The body as a whole

  • CaringGood18 October 2023
  • EffectiveGood18 October 2023
  • ResponsiveGood18 October 2023
  • SafeGood18 October 2023
  • Well-ledRequires improvement18 October 2023

Services CQC has rated

Each service is rated on its own. Open one to read the five key questions underneath it.

  • Community health inpatient servicesGood
    • CaringGood10 August 2016
    • EffectiveGood10 August 2016
    • ResponsiveGood10 August 2016
    • SafeGood10 August 2016
    • Well-ledGood10 August 2016
  • Community health services for adultsGood
    • CaringGood10 August 2016
    • EffectiveGood10 August 2016
    • ResponsiveGood10 August 2016
    • SafeGood10 August 2016
    • Well-ledGood10 August 2016
  • Community health services for children, young people and familiesGood
    • CaringGood10 August 2016
    • EffectiveGood10 August 2016
    • ResponsiveGood10 August 2016
    • SafeGood10 August 2016
    • Well-ledGood10 August 2016
  • Specialist community mental health services for children and young peopleRequires improvement
    • CaringGood10 August 2016
    • EffectiveRequires improvement10 August 2016
    • ResponsiveRequires improvement10 August 2016
    • SafeRequires improvement10 August 2016
    • Well-ledRequires improvement10 August 2016

Most recent judgement 18 October 2023. Read it on the CQC website

Against the national standards

The measures NHS England publishes against a provider every month, each drawn against the standard set for it. The standards differ: 95% of A&E attendances within four hours, 85% of urgent cancer referrals treated within sixty-two days, 99% of diagnostic tests within six weeks. A figure read against the wrong one says nothing, so no two of these charts share a line and the three cancer standards are never added together.

Hover or use the arrow keys to read any month, with the figures the percentage was worked out from. Every chart opens as a table.

A&E Wait Times

Patients seen within four hours

66.8%Aug 2026, 7,916 of 11,841 attendances

−5.3 pts since Jul 2026

Below the 95% standard · −28.2 points

50%75%100%95% standardMay 2025Aug 2025Nov 2025Feb 2026May 2026Aug 2026

August 2026: 66.8 per cent, 7,916 of 11,841 attendances. Below the 95% standard.

All 17 months as a table
A&E Wait Times by month, with the figures each percentage was worked out from.
MonthPerformanceOf attendances
Aug 202666.8%, Below the 95% standard7,916 of 11,841
Jul 202672.2%, Below the 95% standard8,937 of 12,384
Jun 202666.5%, Below the 95% standard8,355 of 12,557
May 202668.7%, Below the 95% standard8,749 of 12,728
Apr 202672.4%, Below the 95% standard8,618 of 11,904
Mar 202668.1%, Below the 95% standard8,336 of 12,240
Feb 202663.8%, Below the 95% standard6,815 of 10,681
Jan 202662.2%, Below the 95% standard7,441 of 11,967
Dec 202560.2%, Below the 95% standard7,153 of 11,888
Nov 202561.0%, Below the 95% standard7,684 of 12,597
Oct 202562.1%, Below the 95% standard7,941 of 12,779
Sept 202565.7%, Below the 95% standard7,823 of 11,916
Aug 202564.6%, Below the 95% standard7,375 of 11,420
Jul 202564.8%, Below the 95% standard7,995 of 12,338
Jun 202564.9%, Below the 95% standard7,808 of 12,031
May 202570.3%, Below the 95% standard8,742 of 12,444
Apr 202566.3%, Below the 95% standard7,909 of 11,924
Dips every January are national, not local. NHS England monthly A&E data

Waiting times (RTT)

Referral to treatment: waiting under eighteen weeks to start treatment

61.0%Jul 2026, 22,758 of 37,306 people waiting

Level since Jun 2026

Below the 92% standard · −31.0 points

50%75%100%92% standardJul 2025Sept 2025Nov 2025Jan 2026Mar 2026May 2026Jul 2026

July 2026: 61.0 per cent, 22,758 of 37,306 people waiting. Below the 92% standard.

All 14 months as a table
Waiting times (RTT) by month, with the figures each percentage was worked out from.
MonthPerformanceOf people waiting
Jul 202661.0%, Below the 92% standard22,758 of 37,306
Jun 202661.0%, Below the 92% standard23,062 of 37,808
May 202660.7%, Below the 92% standard22,637 of 37,294
Apr 202660.8%, Below the 92% standard22,345 of 36,779
Mar 202662.1%, Below the 92% standard23,514 of 37,849
Feb 202659.8%, Below the 92% standard22,362 of 37,369
Jan 202657.5%, Below the 92% standard22,334 of 38,836
Dec 202557.4%, Below the 92% standard21,552 of 37,532
Nov 202558.6%, Below the 92% standard21,951 of 37,478
Oct 202559.1%, Below the 92% standard22,074 of 37,366
Sept 202559.1%, Below the 92% standard22,204 of 37,555
Aug 202558.0%, Below the 92% standard21,767 of 37,521
Jul 202557.2%, Below the 92% standard21,483 of 37,565
Jun 202556.9%, Below the 92% standard21,200 of 37,252
Incomplete pathways: people still waiting, not those already treated. NHS England monthly RTT data

Diagnostic tests (DM01)

Waiting under six weeks for a scan, a scope or a test

84.2%Jul 2026, 4,607 of 5,470 people waiting

−0.1 pts since Jun 2026

Below the 99% standard · −14.8 points

70%85%100%99% standardApr 2026May 2026Jun 2026Jul 2026

July 2026: 84.2 per cent, 4,607 of 5,470 people waiting. Below the 99% standard.

All 4 months as a table
Diagnostic tests (DM01) by month, with the figures each percentage was worked out from.
MonthPerformanceOf people waiting
Jul 202684.2%, Below the 99% standard4,607 of 5,470
Jun 202684.3%, Below the 99% standard4,522 of 5,362
May 202688.1%, Below the 99% standard4,770 of 5,413
Apr 202689.2%, Below the 99% standard4,961 of 5,562
Fifteen test types together, from MRI to endoscopy. NHS England monthly diagnostics data

Cancer diagnosis (FDS)

Faster diagnosis standard: told the outcome within twenty-eight days

80.5%Jul 2026, 1,587 of 1,972 referrals

−0.9 pts since Jun 2026

Meets the 75% standard · +5.5 points

70%80%90%75% standardJan 2026Feb 2026Mar 2026Apr 2026May 2026Jun 2026Jul 2026

July 2026: 80.5 per cent, 1,587 of 1,972 referrals. Meets the 75% standard.

All 7 months as a table
Cancer diagnosis (FDS) by month, with the figures each percentage was worked out from.
MonthPerformanceOf referrals
Jul 202680.5%, Meets the 75% standard1,587 of 1,972
Jun 202681.4%, Meets the 75% standard1,546 of 1,899
May 202681.3%, Meets the 75% standard1,470 of 1,809
Apr 202679.6%, Meets the 75% standard1,428 of 1,794
Mar 202681.6%, Meets the 75% standard1,557 of 1,909
Feb 202684.5%, Meets the 75% standard1,376 of 1,628
Jan 202681.0%, Meets the 75% standard1,383 of 1,708
Told whether they have cancer, not treated for it. NHS England monthly cancer waiting times

Cancer (31-day)

Decision to treat to first treatment within thirty-one days

96.5%Jul 2026, 138 of 143 treatments

−2.8 pts since Jun 2026

Meets the 96% standard · +0.5 points

90%95%100%96% standardJan 2026Feb 2026Mar 2026Apr 2026May 2026Jun 2026Jul 2026

July 2026: 96.5 per cent, 138 of 143 treatments. Meets the 96% standard.

All 7 months as a table
Cancer (31-day) by month, with the figures each percentage was worked out from.
MonthPerformanceOf treatments
Jul 202696.5%, Meets the 96% standard138 of 143
Jun 202699.3%, Meets the 96% standard147 of 148
May 202699.2%, Meets the 96% standard126 of 127
Apr 202697.6%, Meets the 96% standard124 of 127
Mar 202696.8%, Meets the 96% standard150 of 155
Feb 202699.1%, Meets the 96% standard109 of 110
Jan 202698.7%, Meets the 96% standard154 of 156
Starts at the decision to treat, so it excludes the wait to diagnose. NHS England monthly cancer waiting times

Cancer (62-day)

Urgent referral to first treatment within sixty-two days

69.7%Jul 2026, 112.5 of 161.5 treatments

−7.8 pts since Jun 2026

Below the 85% standard · −15.3 points

60%75%90%85% standardJan 2026Feb 2026Mar 2026Apr 2026May 2026Jun 2026Jul 2026

July 2026: 69.7 per cent, 112.5 of 161.5 treatments. Below the 85% standard.

All 7 months as a table
Cancer (62-day) by month, with the figures each percentage was worked out from.
MonthPerformanceOf treatments
Jul 202669.7%, Below the 85% standard112.5 of 161.5
Jun 202677.4%, Below the 85% standard123.5 of 159.5
May 202673.8%, Below the 85% standard111 of 150.5
Apr 202683.8%, Below the 85% standard116 of 138.5
Mar 202680.4%, Below the 85% standard131.5 of 163.5
Feb 202667.8%, Below the 85% standard89.5 of 132
Jan 202679.1%, Below the 85% standard138 of 174.5
The standard usually meant by 'the cancer target'. NHS England monthly cancer waiting times