NHSQueueIndependent waiting-time data

Ipswich Hospital is the acute hospital for east Suffolk, with an Emergency Department in the Garrett Anderson Centre and an Urgent Treatment Centre alongside it (UTC open 8am–midnight). It has a maternity unit with triage and a day assessment unit, the Ipswich Heart Centre, a radiotherapy department and a fertility (IVF) service.

Contact details, visiting and parking from the hospital’s official website, checked on 26 September 2026. Please check with the hospital before you travel.

NHSQueue score3.73.7/10Worse than most · ranked 94 of 126How it is scored Waiting list13.8 weeksFmedian wait · 59.7% within 18 weeksWaiting times by specialty A&E77.3%seen within 4 hours · August 2026A&E waiting times CQC ratingRequires improvementfor Ipswich HospitalInspection details

Ipswich Hospital phone numbers

Main switchboard01473 712 233Ask for the Emergency Department

PALS email: pals@esneft.nhs.uk

In an emergency call 999. For urgent medical advice call NHS 111.

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Where is Ipswich Hospital?

Heath Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 5PD

Directions in Google Maps

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Visiting times at Ipswich Hospital

Adult wards

8am – 8pm

Up to 2 visitors

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

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 Ipswich Hospital

ANPR car parks (lettered A–K) 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 from London Road or Martlesham Heath. The first 30 minutes in the main car park or at the main entrance drop-off are free.

  • 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 having chemotherapy or radiotherapy (yellow bays in car park K), 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). Patients on certain benefits can claim back charges at the General Office (entrance 2).

Getting there

  • By busRoutes 2, 5, 5E, 6 and 75 stop inside the grounds outside the Garrett Anderson Centre (Emergency Department); routes 63, 64, 65, 66, 66a, 75, 77, 800 and 900 use the Park and Ride stop at the Woodbridge Road entrance. Park and Ride runs from London Road (IP8 3TQ) and Martlesham Heath (IP5 3QN).
  • By trainDerby Road station is 1.3 miles away (about a 20-minute walk; no taxi rank); Ipswich station is 4.7 miles away and linked by the 66 bus.

Shops, food and facilities

  • Courtyard restaurant (main corridor, entrance 15)
  • DeliMarche cafe (Central Outpatients, entrance 6)
  • Costa Coffee (South zone)
  • WHSmith (South zone and Central Outpatients)
  • Stock Shop (clothes and gifts)
  • 24-hour vending machines (maternity reception, entrance 8)
  • Change 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 Ipswich Hospital and the trust’s other hospitals.

Waiting-list data: July 2026Published by NHS England on · next release expected 8 October 2026 · sources

3.7

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

CQC rating for Ipswich HospitalRequires improvementUrgent and emergency care: Requires improvement · Maternity: Requires improvement · report February 2026

Other hospitals run by East Suffolk and North Essex

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust: all hospitals and contact details →

Ipswich Hospital: common questions

What is the phone number for Ipswich Hospital?

The main number for Ipswich Hospital is 01473 712 233. Other useful numbers: maternity helpline 01473 702 666; maternity triage 01473 703 334; emergency assessment unit 01473 702 260. 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 Ipswich 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 Ipswich Hospital?

ANPR car parks (lettered A–K) 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 from London Road or Martlesham Heath. The first 30 minutes in the main car park or at the main entrance drop-off are free. 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 having chemotherapy or radiotherapy (yellow bays in car park K), 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). Patients on certain benefits can claim back charges at the General Office (entrance 2).

Where is Ipswich Hospital?

Ipswich Hospital is at Heath Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 5PD. It is run by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust. By bus: Routes 2, 5, 5E, 6 and 75 stop inside the grounds outside the Garrett Anderson Centre (Emergency Department); routes 63, 64, 65, 66, 66a, 75, 77, 800 and 900 use the Park and Ride stop at the Woodbridge Road entrance. Park and Ride runs from London Road (IP8 3TQ) and Martlesham Heath (IP5 3QN).

Does Ipswich Hospital have an A&E?

Yes. Ipswich 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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