Children's A&E Major Trauma Centre

Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust (Liverpool) Children's A&E Waiting Times

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Latest report
5 hr
16 Oct 20:00
Average
3 hr 11 min
4 reports
Reported by visitors, not the hospital. Waits shown here are typical for non-urgent cases. Patients are seen in order of clinical priority, so the most seriously ill are always seen first no matter how busy the department is.
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0 minutes total
Community reported wait times

These times are reported by visitors and may not reflect current conditions.

Nearby A&E & urgent care
Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre
10.6 mi away
Long wait
Warrington Hospital A&E
11.9 mi away
Moderate wait
Leighton Hospital A&E
27.1 mi away
Long wait
Whitchurch MIU
32.1 mi away
Long wait
Haywood Hospital Walk-in Centre
38.4 mi away
Long wait

There are also other nearby A&Es which collect wait times from the community, including Old Swan, Smithdown and Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

Contact & location
Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP
Switchboard: 0151 228 4811
Opening times
Monday TodayOpen 24 hours
TuesdayOpen 24 hours
WednesdayOpen 24 hours
ThursdayOpen 24 hours
FridayOpen 24 hours
SaturdayOpen 24 hours
SundayOpen 24 hours
Getting here
Train stations
Broad Green Rail Station17 min walk to Children's A&E
Wavertree Technology Park Rail Station29 min walk to Children's A&E
Roby Rail Station36 min walk to Children's A&E
Huyton Rail Station46 min walk to Children's A&E
Edge Hill Rail Station48 min walk to Children's A&E
Bus stops
28 routes·5 operators·5 stops within walking distance
Alder Hey Hospital (o/s, north-east)1 min walk to Children's A&E
10Arriva UK BusLiverpool ↔ St Helens
10AArriva UK BusLiverpool ↔ St Helens
10AStagecoachLiverpool ↔ St Helens
10BArriva UK BusLiverpool ↔ Huyton
10BArriva Merseyside
10SArriva UK BusLiverpool ↔ Prescot
10SArriva Merseyside
204Arriva UK BusLiverpool ↔ Belle Vale
42Warrington’s Own BusesGillmoss ↔ Widnes
61Arriva UK BusAigburth Vale ↔ Bootle
61AArriva UK BusAigburth Vale ↔ Bootle
61BArriva UK BusAigburth Vale ↔ Bootle
8Arriva UK BusLiverpool
8Arriva Merseyside
827Huyton TravelOld Swan ↔ Knowsley Industrial Park
870Huyton TravelOld Swan ↔ Huyton Quarry
8EArriva Merseyside
9Arriva UK BusLiverpool
9Arriva Merseyside
C42Warrington’s Own BusesGillmoss ↔ Widnes
Thomas Lane (adj, south-west)2 min walk to Children's A&E
10Arriva UK BusSt Helens ↔ Liverpool
102Huyton TravelFazakerley ↔ Woolfall Heath
10AArriva UK BusSt Helens ↔ Liverpool
10AStagecoachSt Helens ↔ Liverpool
10AArriva Merseyside
10BArriva UK BusHuyton ↔ Liverpool
10SArriva UK BusPrescot ↔ Liverpool
204Arriva UK BusBelle Vale ↔ Liverpool
204Arriva Merseyside
42Warrington’s Own BusesWidnes ↔ Gillmoss
61Arriva UK BusBootle ↔ Aigburth Vale
61Arriva Merseyside
61AArriva UK BusBootle ↔ Aigburth Vale
61AArriva Merseyside
61BArriva UK BusBootle ↔ Aigburth Vale
61BArriva Merseyside
8Arriva UK BusLiverpool
8Arriva Merseyside
8EArriva Merseyside
9Arriva UK BusLiverpool
9Arriva Merseyside
C42Warrington’s Own BusesWidnes ↔ Gillmoss
East Prescot Road (adj, north-west)3 min walk to Children's A&E
102Huyton TravelWoolfall Heath ↔ Fazakerley
15Arriva UK BusHuyton ↔ Liverpool
15Arriva Merseyside
61Arriva UK BusAigburth Vale ↔ Bootle
61AArriva UK BusAigburth Vale ↔ Bootle
61BArriva UK BusAigburth Vale ↔ Bootle
Meadowcroft Park (adj, south-east)3 min walk to Children's A&E
102Huyton TravelFazakerley ↔ Woolfall Heath
61Arriva UK BusBootle ↔ Aigburth Vale
61Arriva Merseyside
61AArriva UK BusBootle ↔ Aigburth Vale
61AArriva Merseyside
61BArriva UK BusBootle ↔ Aigburth Vale
61BArriva Merseyside
Rudyard Road (adj, westbound)4 min walk to Children's A&E
10Arriva UK BusSt Helens ↔ Liverpool
102Huyton TravelFazakerley ↔ Woolfall Heath
10AArriva UK BusSt Helens ↔ Liverpool
10AStagecoachSt Helens ↔ Liverpool
10AArriva Merseyside
10BArriva UK BusHuyton ↔ Liverpool
10SArriva UK BusPrescot ↔ Liverpool
204Arriva UK BusBelle Vale ↔ Liverpool
204Arriva Merseyside
42Warrington’s Own BusesWidnes ↔ Gillmoss
61Arriva UK BusBootle ↔ Aigburth Vale
61Arriva Merseyside
61AArriva UK BusBootle ↔ Aigburth Vale
61AArriva Merseyside
61BArriva UK BusBootle ↔ Aigburth Vale
61BArriva Merseyside
8Arriva UK BusLiverpool
8Arriva Merseyside
8EArriva Merseyside
9Arriva UK BusLiverpool
9Arriva Merseyside
C42Warrington’s Own BusesWidnes ↔ Gillmoss
Plan journey by public transport
What’s available here
Accessibility
Disabled ParkingSigning Service AvailableWheelchair Access
Accommodation
Access To TvPublic Telephone
Parking
Car ParkingDisabled Parking
Counselling and Support
Translation Services
Food and Amenities
CafeShop

About Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust

Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust runs a 24-hour dedicated children's emergency department, open to under 16 years, on Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Eaton Road in Liverpool, Merseyside, part of Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust. It is also a designated Major Trauma Centre - the tier of hospital equipped for life-threatening injuries and complex emergency surgery, which is why ambulances will sometimes drive past closer A&Es to bring the most severely injured patients here. The wider site runs 5 listed departments and services, from Cardiothoracic surgery to Paediatric intensive care.

The Care Quality Commission rates it Good, last inspected in February 2021. It rated the hospital's urgent and emergency services Good when they were last inspected in July 2020. The site lists 1,554 parking spaces, 68 of them designated disabled bays, with patient parking averaging £1.33 an hour.

Official NHS performance

85.9%seen within 4 hours
6,240attendances in September 2026
60.4%England average for major A&Es

NHS England publishes these figures for Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust as a whole, covering every A&E the trust runs rather than this site alone. That is above the England average of 60.4% for major A&E departments over the same month.

In the NHS Friends and Family Test for August 2026, 89% of 161 patients who responded at this site reported a positive experience. The trust's general and acute wards averaged 74.9% overnight bed occupancy in the quarter to March 2026 - full wards are the main reason admitted patients queue in A&E.

Attendances by year

NHS yearA&E attendancesMonthly averageWithin 4 hours
2023-2469,8825,82482.4%
2024-2567,6765,64082.6%
2025-2670,7855,89985.2%
2026-27 (6 months)35,2905,88286.0%

Between 2023-24 and 2025-26, monthly A&E attendances stayed broadly flat and the share seen within four hours improved by 2.8 percentage points.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check the current Children's A&E wait time at Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust?

The live waiting time for the Children's A&E at Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust is shown at the top of this page, together with when it was last updated. Times are reported by recent visitors and carry a community badge - after your own visit you can submit your wait time in a few seconds to help the next person.

When is the Children's A&E at Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust quietest?

Patterns vary by hospital, but across UK urgent and emergency care the quietest window is usually the early morning, roughly 4am to 7am, with demand building through the afternoon and peaking in the evening. Friday and Saturday nights and Monday mornings are typically the busiest periods. See our guide to the best time to visit for more detail.

How long will I wait at Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust Children's A&E?

Patients are triaged on arrival and the most urgent cases are always seen first, so your wait depends on how serious your condition is and how busy the department is. Hospitals in England work to the NHS four-hour standard - the aim is to admit, transfer or discharge patients within four hours of arrival. The live figure on this page shows how Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust is doing right now. NHS England's most recent figures (September 2026) show 85.9% of patients across the trust's A&E departments were seen within four hours.

How often are the waiting times on this page updated?

This page updates whenever a visitor submits a new wait time, so freshness depends on recent reports - each entry shows when that person visited. If you have been to Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust recently, submitting your wait takes a few seconds and helps others plan.

Is the Children's A&E at Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust open 24 hours?

Yes - the Children's A&E at Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. In a life-threatening emergency always call 999.

Where is Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust and how do I get there?

Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust is at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP. For general enquiries call 0151 228 4811. Enter your postcode in the Getting here section for a door-to-door route.

Is parking free at Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust?

No - patient and visitor parking here averages about £1.33 an hour (NHS estates return, 2024-25). The site lists 1,554 parking spaces, including 68 designated disabled bays. Concessions often apply for blue badge holders, frequent attenders and some patients - check the hospital's own parking page.

What is the CQC rating for Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust?

Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust is rated Good overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England, following an inspection in February 2021. It rated the hospital's urgent and emergency services Good when they were last inspected in July 2020. You can read the full CQC report.

Can children be treated at Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust Children's A&E?

This Children's A&E serves: Under 16 years. If your child's age group is not treated here, the nearby section on this page lists alternatives - or call NHS 111 for urgent advice and 999 in an emergency.

Is Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust a Major Trauma Centre?

Yes - Alder Hey Nhs Foundation Trust is a designated Major Trauma Centre, equipped for the most serious emergencies including major injuries and complex surgery. The most severely injured patients in the region are taken here, sometimes bypassing closer hospitals.
About this data
This hospital does not currently have a live data source. The waiting times shown here are reported by visitors and may not reflect current conditions. You can see how we source data for every hospital on our data sources page. Department labels shown (e.g. A&E, MIU, UTC) are our interpretation of the source data and may not match the hospital’s own terminology. If any information is incorrect, please let us know.
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