East of England · MK42 9DJ
Bedford Hospital
Bedford Hospital is an acute hospital near Bedford town centre whose main South Wing site has a 24-hour Emergency Department (resuscitation, majors, paediatrics and a nurse-led minor injuries area) and an urgent treatment centre next door in the Cauldwell Centre. The Cygnet Wing houses maternity (delivery suite, triage, antenatal clinic, Orchard Ward), the Meadowbank neonatal unit and children's wards.
Contact details, visiting and parking from the hospital’s official website, checked on 26 September 2026. Please check with the hospital before you travel.
Bedford Hospital phone numbers
Main switchboard01234 355 12224 hours; textphone 18001 01234 355 122- Maternity triagePress 1; urgent pregnancy concerns after 20 weeks01234 795805
- PALS (Bedford)Also 01234 355122 ext 4629; pals@bedfordhospital.nhs.uk01234 795814
- PALS (patient advice and liaison)8am–4pm (temporarily closed on Tuesdays)01582 497990
PALS email: PALS.Luton@bedsft.nhs.uk
In an emergency call 999. For urgent medical advice call NHS 111.
Where is Bedford Hospital?
South Wing, Kempston Road, Bedford, MK42 9DJ
Directions in Google MapsNearest NHS hospitals
Visiting times at Bedford Hospital
Maternity
2 birth partners on the delivery suite and midwife-led birth unit; on triage, antenatal and postnatal wards 1 birth partner or support person 9am–9pm and 2 adult visitors plus siblings 3pm–8pm; 1 birth partner may stay overnight on Orchard Ward
Parking at Bedford Hospital
Car parks at the three entrances (Ampthill Road for A&E and Outpatients, Britannia Road, Kempston Road). Kempston Road, Cygnet Wing, Cauldwell Centre and the Britannia Road overflow car parks are pay and display (coins or card). Most Rye Close spaces behind Cygnet Wing are closed from 27 August 2026 until summer 2027 for building works. The Elstow Park and Ride offers free parking with a bus stopping outside the hospital.
- drop off and up to 15 minutesFree
- up to 30 minutes£2.00
- up to 1 hour£3.30
- up to 2 hours£4.80
- up to 3 hours£6.00
- up to 5 hours£7.80
- up to 6 hours£9.60
- up to 7 hours£12.60
- up to 24 hours£14.40
Free or reduced parking: Free for Blue Badge holders in all car parks except the Britannia Road staff and visitor (ANPR) car park. Concessions (form needed) for frequent outpatients (3+ appointments in 30 days), parents of children admitted to the children's ward (up to 2 vehicles), parents of babies in the neonatal unit (1 vehicle) and carers of patients with dementia or learning disabilities.
Getting there
- By busSeveral local bus services stop at the hospital (main operators Stagecoach and Grant Palmer); the Elstow Park and Ride bus stops directly outside
- By trainBedford station is about half a mile away (10–15 minute walk); Bedford St Johns (Marston Vale line) is about a 5-minute walk, with steps to the main road
Shops, food and facilities
- The Swannery restaurant (main corridor)
- Le Bistro café
- Hospital shop (Kempston Road main reception)
- Vending machines
- Wheelshare self-service wheelchair hire (outpatients, first 5 hours free)
- Free phones to a local taxi firm at the main receptions
How Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust performs
NHS England publishes waiting times for Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a whole, covering Bedford Hospital and the trust’s other hospitals.
Waiting-list data: July 2026Published by NHS England on · next release expected 8 October 2026 · sources
NHSQueue score: 2.6 out of 10
Worse than mostBedfordshire Hospitals ranks 108 of 126 NHS hospital trusts in England on the latest official figures.
- Waiting list (share within 18 weeks)better than 10% of trusts
- A&E (seen within 4 hours)better than 40% of trusts
- Diagnostic tests (waiting under 6 weeks)better than 16% of trusts
- Cancer (28-day and 62-day standards)better than 6% of trusts
- CQC inspection ratingbetter than 72% of trusts
Each measure is compared with every other NHS hospital trust, then combined: waiting list 35%, A&E 20%, tests 15%, cancer 15%, CQC 15%. How the score works
Waiting list for planned treatment
14.2 weeksF wait grade
median wait · 59.1% under 18 weeks · 85,541 waiting
+2,949 waiting vs June 2026
Waiting times by specialty
A&E
71.7%
seen within 4 hours in August 2026 · 25,678 attendances
England: 75.0%
A&E waiting times
Diagnostic tests (MRI, CT, endoscopy…)
31.3%
waiting 6+ weeks · 17,306 waiting for a test
July 2026 · standard: under 1%
Test waits
Cancer: diagnosed within 28 days
72.8%
60.2% treated within 62 days
July 2026 · standard 75%
Cancer waiting times
Other hospitals run by Bedfordshire Hospitals
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: all hospitals and contact details →
Bedford Hospital: common questions
What is the phone number for Bedford Hospital?
The main number for Bedford Hospital is 01234 355 122. Other useful numbers: maternity triage 01234 795805; pals (bedford) 01234 795814. For help with a complaint or concern, PALS is on 01582 497990.
How much is parking at Bedford Hospital?
Car parks at the three entrances (Ampthill Road for A&E and Outpatients, Britannia Road, Kempston Road). Kempston Road, Cygnet Wing, Cauldwell Centre and the Britannia Road overflow car parks are pay and display (coins or card). Most Rye Close spaces behind Cygnet Wing are closed from 27 August 2026 until summer 2027 for building works. The Elstow Park and Ride offers free parking with a bus stopping outside the hospital. Charges: drop off and up to 15 minutes: Free, up to 30 minutes: £2.00, up to 1 hour: £3.30, up to 2 hours: £4.80. Free for Blue Badge holders in all car parks except the Britannia Road staff and visitor (ANPR) car park. Concessions (form needed) for frequent outpatients (3+ appointments in 30 days), parents of children admitted to the children's ward (up to 2 vehicles), parents of babies in the neonatal unit (1 vehicle) and carers of patients with dementia or learning disabilities.
Where is Bedford Hospital?
Bedford Hospital is at South Wing, Kempston Road, Bedford, MK42 9DJ. It is run by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. By bus: Several local bus services stop at the hospital (main operators Stagecoach and Grant Palmer); the Elstow Park and Ride bus stops directly outside.
Does Bedford Hospital have an A&E?
Yes. Bedford Hospital has an emergency department (24 hours, 7 days). Across Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 71.7% of 25,678 A&E attendances ended within 4 hours in August 2026.
Sources: NHS England statistics on referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times (July 2026), A&E attendances (August 2026), diagnostic waiting times (DM01) and cancer waiting times, published 10 September 2026; hospital sites from the nhs.uk organisation data. Figures are checked against the official national totals before every update.
NHSQueue is an independent website and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NHS. How we use the data · Report an error · Photo credits