A&E Trauma Unit

Thornton Heath A&E Live Waiting Times

Croydon University Hospital

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust

Latest report
8 hr
18 Sep 22:49
Average
10 hr 28 min
3 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
Princess Alexandra Hospital Children's A&E
27.7 mi away
Long wait
Princess Alexandra Hospital A&E
27.7 mi away
Long wait
Princess Alexandra Hospital Same Day Emergency Care A&E
27.7 mi away
Long wait
Sittingbourne MIU
36.7 mi away
Long wait
Sheppey MIU
39.0 mi away
Long wait

There are also other nearby A&Es which collect wait times from the community, including St Helier Hospital, St George's Hospital and King's College Hospital.

Contact & location
530 London Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey, CR7 7YE
Switchboard: 020 8401 3000
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
Thornton Heath Station16 min walk to A&E
West Croydon Station17 min walk to A&E
Selhurst Station20 min walk to A&E
East Croydon Rail Station24 min walk to A&E
Waddon32 min walk to A&E
Metro / tram
Ampere Way Tram Stop16 min walk to A&E
West Croydon Tram Stop17 min walk to A&E
Therapia Lane Tram Stop18 min walk to A&E
Waddon Marsh Tram Stop19 min walk to A&E
Centrale Tram Stop21 min walk to A&E
Bus stops
9 routes·3 operators·5 stops within walking distance
Croydon University Hospital (Stop D, northbound)2 min walk to A&E
109Abellio LondonCroydon ↔ Brixton
198Arriva UK BusSpring Park ↔ Thornton Heath
250Arriva UK BusWest Croydon ↔ Brixton
289Arriva UK BusElmers End ↔ Purley
60Arriva UK BusOld Coulsdon ↔ Streatham
64Arriva UK BusNew Addington ↔ Broad Green
N109Abellio LondonCroydon ↔ Soho
N250Arriva UK BusCroydon ↔ Brixton
Croydon University Hospital (Stop C, southbound)2 min walk to A&E
109Abellio LondonBrixton ↔ Croydon
198Arriva UK BusThornton Heath ↔ Spring Park
250Arriva UK BusBrixton ↔ West Croydon
289Arriva UK BusPurley ↔ Elmers End
60Arriva UK BusStreatham ↔ Old Coulsdon
64Arriva UK BusBroad Green ↔ New Addington
N109Abellio LondonOxford Circus ↔ Croydon
N250Arriva UK BusBrixton ↔ Croydon
Dunheved Road North (Stop E, southbound)3 min walk to A&E
109Abellio LondonBrixton ↔ Croydon
198Arriva UK BusThornton Heath ↔ Spring Park
250Arriva UK BusBrixton ↔ West Croydon
289Arriva UK BusPurley ↔ Elmers End
60Arriva UK BusStreatham ↔ Old Coulsdon
64Arriva UK BusBroad Green ↔ New Addington
N109Abellio LondonOxford Circus ↔ Croydon
N250Arriva UK BusBrixton ↔ Croydon
Fairgreen Road (Stop X, northbound)4 min walk to A&E
450Go-AheadWest Croydon ↔ Bell Green
Kimberley Road (CR0) (Stop W, north-west)5 min walk to A&E
450Go-AheadWest Croydon ↔ Bell Green
Plan journey by public transport
What’s available here
Accessibility
Disabled ParkingDisabled WcInduction LoopSigning Service AvailableStep Free AccessWheelchair Access
Accommodation
Access To TvFamily AccommodationInternet AccessMobile Phones PermittedPublic TelephoneSingle Sex Accommodation Only
Parking
Car ParkingCycle ParkingDisabled Parking
Counselling and Support
Bereavement SupportTranslation Services
Faith Services
On-Site ChapelPrayer Area
Food and Amenities
CafePatient LibraryPharmacyShop

About Croydon University Hospital

Croydon University Hospital runs a 24-hour accident and emergency department, open to all ages, on 530 London Road in Thornton Heath, Greater London, part of Croydon Health Services 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 47 listed departments and services, from Breast cancer services to Vascular surgery.

The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement, last inspected in November 2021. The site lists 515 parking spaces, 43 of them designated disabled bays, with patient parking averaging £2.17 an hour.

Official NHS performance

63.1%seen within 4 hours
13,804attendances in September 2026
60.4%England average for major A&Es

NHS England publishes these figures for Croydon Health Services NHS 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, 66% of 594 patients who responded at this site reported a positive experience. The trust's general and acute wards averaged 98.3% 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 hours12hr+ waits to admit
2023-24152,09412,67462.6%5,513
2024-25155,55212,96364.3%6,810
2025-26156,28613,02465.9%7,632
2026-27 (6 months)80,54513,42462.5%3,850

Between 2023-24 and 2025-26, monthly A&E attendances rose 3% and the share seen within four hours improved by 3.4 percentage points.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check the current A&E wait time at Croydon University Hospital?

The live waiting time for the A&E at Croydon University Hospital 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 Croydon University Hospital 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 Croydon University Hospital 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 Croydon University Hospital is doing right now. NHS England's most recent figures (September 2026) show 63.1% 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 Croydon University Hospital recently, submitting your wait takes a few seconds and helps others plan.

Is the A&E at Croydon University Hospital open 24 hours?

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

Where is Croydon University Hospital and how do I get there?

Croydon University Hospital is at 530 London Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey, CR7 7YE. For general enquiries call 020 8401 3000. Enter your postcode in the Getting here section for a door-to-door route.

Is parking free at Croydon University Hospital?

No - patient and visitor parking here averages about £2.17 an hour (NHS estates return, 2024-25). The site lists 515 parking spaces, including 43 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 Croydon University Hospital?

Croydon University Hospital is rated Requires Improvement overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England, following an inspection in November 2021. You can read the full CQC report.

Can children be treated at Croydon University Hospital 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 Croydon University Hospital a Major Trauma Centre?

No - Croydon University Hospital 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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