East of England · CO4 5JL
Colchester Hospital
Colchester Hospital is the main acute hospital for north Essex, with an Emergency Department and an Urgent Treatment Centre next to it (UTC open 7am–11pm). It provides maternity care, a children's assessment unit, a stroke unit and a cardiac catheterisation suite, and is the area's cancer centre with the Collingwood Centre for chemotherapy and a radiotherapy department.
Contact details, visiting and parking from the hospital’s official website, checked on 26 September 2026. Please check with the hospital before you travel.
Colchester Hospital phone numbers
Main switchboard01206 747 474- A&E majors01206 742 114
- A&E minors01206 742 115
- Maternity helpline01206 742 369
- Maternity triageListed for reduced fetal movements01206 845 240
- Children's Assessment UnitWard review01206 746 177
- Emergency Assessment Unit reception01206 742 162
- Blood tests (appointments)Also bookable online via SwiftQueue0300 303 5299
- Radiotherapy reception01206 745 055
- PALS (patient advice and liaison)Mon–Fri 8am–4pm; phone lines 10am–2pm (closed bank holidays)0800 783 7328 (Colchester, freephone); 0800 328 7624 (Ipswich, freephone)
PALS email: pals@esneft.nhs.uk
In an emergency call 999. For urgent medical advice call NHS 111.
Where is Colchester Hospital?
Turner Road, Colchester, Essex, CO4 5JL
Directions in Google MapsNearest NHS hospitals
Visiting times at Colchester Hospital
Adult wards
8am – 8pm
Up to 2 visitors8am–8pm daily; up to 2 visitors at the bedside at a time (children count towards the 2)
Maternity
Up to 2 birth partners from admission in labour; antenatal and postnatal wards 8am–8pm for 2 adults (the birth partner and one other); siblings of newborns by prior agreement with the ward
Children's wards
2 parents or carers together on children's wards and neonatal units, and one may stay overnight; other family members by agreement with the ward team
Visiting excludes protected mealtimes unless helping a patient to eat; check times with the nurse in charge. Critical care, maternity and cancer wards may have different arrangements. Up to 2 people can accompany a patient in A&E. More flexible visiting for end of life care, carers and patients with dementia or a learning disability.
Parking at Colchester Hospital
ANPR car parks where you pay for the time you stay, by card, phone or cash at the machines. Spaces are very limited at peak times, so the trust recommends the Park and Ride at Cuckoo Farm Way (A12 junction 28), one stop from the hospital. The drop-off point at the main entrance is free for 10 minutes.
- up to 30 minutesFree
- up to 1 hour£3
- up to 2 hours£4
- up to 4 hours£5
- up to 5 hours£7
- up to 8 hours£10
- 3 days (long stay ticket, buy on arrival)£12
- 5 days (long stay ticket, buy on arrival)£16
- 7 days (long stay ticket, buy on arrival)£20
Free or reduced parking: Free for Blue Badge holders (register online or at main reception), patients attending chemotherapy, haematology or radiotherapy, parents of babies in the neonatal unit, parents of sick children staying overnight, dialysis patients and frequent outpatient attenders (3+ visits a month for 3+ months, reclaimed at the General Office). Patients on certain benefits can claim back charges. Park and Ride for patients with an appointment letter voucher: £1.70 return each for the patient and one companion.
Getting there
- By busRoutes 8, 51, 52, the Harwich Hopper and Clacton Hopper stop outside the main doors; routes 8, 51, 52, 55, 55A, 68, 80, 81, 81a, 93 and 93a stop on Turner Road. Park and Ride from Cuckoo Farm Way (CO4 5JA) stops on Northern Approach Road, a short signed walk away. A bookable Hospital Hopper (01255 436 962) runs from Holland on Sea, Clacton and Jaywick.
- By trainColchester station is 1.6 miles away (taxi rank; buses 61, 65, 80 and the Park and Ride); Colchester Town station is 4.3 miles away.
Shops, food and facilities
- Senses restaurant (first floor, main block)
- M&S Simply Food (main entrance)
- WHSmith (main entrance)
- Costa Coffee (main entrance) and a take-away Costa
- Stock Shop (clothes, bags and gifts)
- 3 cash machines
- Free Wi-Fi in outpatients
How East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust performs
NHS England publishes waiting times for East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust as a whole, covering Colchester 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: 3.7 out of 10
Worse than mostEast Suffolk and North Essex ranks 94 of 126 NHS hospital trusts in England on the latest official figures.
- Waiting list (share within 18 weeks)better than 12% of trusts
- A&E (seen within 4 hours)better than 75% of trusts
- Diagnostic tests (waiting under 6 weeks)better than 64% of trusts
- Cancer (28-day and 62-day standards)better than 31% of trusts
- CQC inspection ratingbetter than 25% 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
13.8 weeksF wait grade
median wait · 59.7% under 18 weeks · 95,757 waiting
+5,969 waiting vs June 2026
Waiting times by specialty
A&E
77.3%
seen within 4 hours in August 2026 · 25,283 attendances
England: 75.0%
A&E waiting times
Diagnostic tests (MRI, CT, endoscopy…)
13.3%
waiting 6+ weeks · 19,496 waiting for a test
July 2026 · standard: under 1%
Test waits
Cancer: diagnosed within 28 days
76.3%
71.8% treated within 62 days
July 2026 · standard 75%
Cancer waiting times
Other hospitals run by East Suffolk and North Essex
- Ipswich HospitalA&E open 24 hours · Heath Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 5PD
- Clacton and District HospitalUrgent treatment centre · 8am–8pm daily, 365 days a year · Tower Road, Clacton, CO15 1LH
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust: all hospitals and contact details →
Colchester Hospital: common questions
What is the phone number for Colchester Hospital?
The main number for Colchester Hospital is 01206 747 474. Other useful numbers: a&e majors 01206 742 114; a&e minors 01206 742 115; maternity helpline 01206 742 369. For help with a complaint or concern, PALS is on 0800 783 7328 (Colchester, freephone); 0800 328 7624 (Ipswich, freephone).
What are the visiting times at Colchester Hospital?
Adult wards: 8am–8pm daily; up to 2 visitors at the bedside at a time (children count towards the 2). Maternity: Up to 2 birth partners from admission in labour; antenatal and postnatal wards 8am–8pm for 2 adults (the birth partner and one other); siblings of newborns by prior agreement with the ward. Children's wards: 2 parents or carers together on children's wards and neonatal units, and one may stay overnight; other family members by agreement with the ward team. Check with the ward before you travel, as times can change.
How much is parking at Colchester Hospital?
ANPR car parks where you pay for the time you stay, by card, phone or cash at the machines. Spaces are very limited at peak times, so the trust recommends the Park and Ride at Cuckoo Farm Way (A12 junction 28), one stop from the hospital. The drop-off point at the main entrance is free for 10 minutes. Charges: up to 30 minutes: Free, up to 1 hour: £3, up to 2 hours: £4, up to 4 hours: £5. Free for Blue Badge holders (register online or at main reception), patients attending chemotherapy, haematology or radiotherapy, parents of babies in the neonatal unit, parents of sick children staying overnight, dialysis patients and frequent outpatient attenders (3+ visits a month for 3+ months, reclaimed at the General Office). Patients on certain benefits can claim back charges. Park and Ride for patients with an appointment letter voucher: £1.70 return each for the patient and one companion.
Where is Colchester Hospital?
Colchester Hospital is at Turner Road, Colchester, Essex, CO4 5JL. It is run by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust. By bus: Routes 8, 51, 52, the Harwich Hopper and Clacton Hopper stop outside the main doors; routes 8, 51, 52, 55, 55A, 68, 80, 81, 81a, 93 and 93a stop on Turner Road. Park and Ride from Cuckoo Farm Way (CO4 5JA) stops on Northern Approach Road, a short signed walk away. A bookable Hospital Hopper (01255 436 962) runs from Holland on Sea, Clacton and Jaywick.
Does Colchester Hospital have an A&E?
Yes. Colchester Hospital has an emergency department. Across East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 77.3% of 25,283 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.
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