A&E Trauma Unit

Bedford A&E Live Waiting Times

Bedford Hospital South Wing

Bedford Hospital NHS Trust

Latest report
10 hr
19 Oct 13:01
Average
11 hr 15 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
Milton Keynes Children's A&E
13.2 mi away
Long wait
Milton Keynes Hospital A&E
13.2 mi away
Long wait
Princess Alexandra Hospital Same Day Emergency Care A&E
34.3 mi away
Long wait
Princess Alexandra Hospital A&E
34.3 mi away
Long wait
Princess Alexandra Hospital Children's A&E
34.3 mi away
Long wait

There are also other nearby A&Es which collect wait times from the community, including Luton And Dunstable Hospital, Lister Hospital and Northampton General Hospital (Acute).

Contact & location
South Wing, Kempston Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9DJ
Switchboard: 01234 355122
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
Bedford St Johns Rail Station5 min walk to A&E
Bedford Rail Station12 min walk to A&E
Kempston Hardwick Rail Station57 min walk to A&E
Bus stops
12 routes·4 operators·5 stops within walking distance
Bedford Hospital West (Stop B, south-west)2 min walk to A&E
1StagecoachBedford ↔ Kempston
22AStagecoachBedford
53Grant PalmerBedford ↔ Wootton
C1UnoBedford ↔ Central Milton Keyne
C10UnoBedford ↔ Central Milton Keyne
C11UnoBedford ↔ Central Milton Keyne
Bedford Hospital West (Stop A, north-east)2 min walk to A&E
1StagecoachKempston ↔ Bedford
22AStagecoachBedford
53Grant PalmerWootton ↔ Bedford
C1UnoCentral Milton Keyne ↔ Bedford
C10UnoCentral Milton Keyne ↔ Bedford
C11UnoCentral Milton Keyne ↔ Bedford
Britannia Road (Stop C, north-west)2 min walk to A&E
2WStagecoachWootton ↔ Bedford
42Grant PalmerDunstable ↔ Bedford
44Grant PalmerFlitwick ↔ Bedford
Britannia Road (Stop D, south-east)2 min walk to A&E
2WStagecoachBedford ↔ Wootton
42Grant PalmerBedford ↔ Dunstable
44Grant PalmerBedford ↔ Flitwick
Bedford Hospital A&E (Stop E, north-east)3 min walk to A&E
2WStagecoachWootton ↔ Bedford
42Grant PalmerDunstable ↔ Bedford
44Grant PalmerFlitwick ↔ Bedford
68Grant PalmerAmpthill ↔ Bedford
W1WanderbusKempston ↔ Stotfold
W2WanderbusMeppershall ↔ Bedford
Plan journey by public transport
What’s available here
Accessibility
Braille Translation ServiceDisabled ParkingDisabled WcInduction LoopSigning Service AvailableText RelayWheelchair Access
Accommodation
Access To TvPublic Telephone
Parking
Car ParkingCycle ParkingDisabled Parking
Counselling and Support
Bereavement SupportTranslation Services
Food and Amenities
CafePharmacyShop
Recent visitor feedbackreported by visitors
Overall
Not recommended by visitors
Staff
Staff are friendly and helpful
Not always kept informed about wait times
Triage is typically quick
Environment
Waiting area is clean
Toilets could be cleaner
Waiting area can feel unsafe
Family
No children’s play area
No separate children’s waiting area
Facilities
Enough seating in the waiting area
No TV in the waiting area
No food or drink available nearby
No phone charging points
Free WiFi is available
Mobile signal is good
Parking
Parking often requires parking elsewhere
Based on 1 visitor response in the last 6 months. This information is collected through a short anonymous survey shown to visitors on this page.

About Bedford Hospital South Wing

Bedford Hospital South Wing runs a 24-hour accident and emergency department, open to all ages, on South Wing, Kempston Road in Bedford, Bedfordshire, part of Bedford Hospital NHS Trust. It is a designated Trauma Unit, equipped to treat significant injuries and to stabilise the most serious cases before transfer to a regional Major Trauma Centre. The wider site runs 40 listed departments and services, from Breast cancer services to Vascular surgery.

Official NHS performance

96.4%seen within 4 hours at walk-in units
60.4%seen within 4 hours at major A&Es
September 2026England, NHS England figures

NHS England does not publish a separate return for this department, so there are no official figures for this site on its own. Across England in September 2026, walk-in units, urgent treatment centres and minor injuries units saw 96.4% of patients within four hours, against 60.4% at major A&E departments.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check the current A&E wait time at Bedford Hospital South Wing?

The live waiting time for the A&E at Bedford Hospital South Wing 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 A&E at Bedford Hospital South Wing 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 Bedford Hospital South Wing 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 Bedford Hospital South Wing is doing right now.

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 Bedford Hospital South Wing recently, submitting your wait takes a few seconds and helps others plan.

Is the A&E at Bedford Hospital South Wing open 24 hours?

Yes - the A&E at Bedford Hospital South Wing is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. In a life-threatening emergency always call 999.

Where is Bedford Hospital South Wing and how do I get there?

Bedford Hospital South Wing is at South Wing, Kempston Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9DJ. For general enquiries call 01234 355122. Enter your postcode in the Getting here section for a door-to-door route.

Can children be treated at Bedford Hospital South Wing A&E?

This A&E serves: All ages. 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 Bedford Hospital South Wing a Major Trauma Centre?

No - Bedford Hospital South Wing is a designated Trauma Unit. It treats significant injuries and stabilises the most complex cases before transfer to a regional Major Trauma Centre.
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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