A&E Trauma Unit

Dorchester A&E Live Waiting Times

Dorset County Hospital

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

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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Community reported wait times

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

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Past NHS Data

This hospital previously had a live data feed. The averages below are based on 100 past readings. Last live update: 16 Apr 20:15.

1 hr 54 min
overall average
3 hr
longest recorded
Nearby A&E & urgent care
Yeovil District Hospital A&E
18.0 mi away
Long wait
Chard Urgent Treatment Centre
24.8 mi away
Long wait
West Mendip (Glastonbury) Urgent Treatment Centre
32.9 mi away
Long wait
Honiton Hospital MIU
32.9 mi away
Short wait
Shepton Mallet Urgent Treatment Centre
33.5 mi away
Short wait

There are also other nearby A&Es which collect wait times from the community, including Poole Hospital, Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Salisbury District Hospital.

Contact & location
Williams Avenue, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 2JY
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
Dorchester West Rail Station4 min walk to A&E
Dorchester South Rail Station9 min walk to A&E
Bus stops
9 routes·3 operators·5 stops within walking distance
Williams Avenue (SE-bound, south-east)2 min walk to A&E
Dorset County Hospital (Stop A, south-west)2 min walk to A&E
10First BusWeymouth ↔ Poundbury
10AFirst BusWeymouth ↔ Dorchester
6Go-AheadDorchester
C2First BusDorchester ↔ Bradpole
Dorset County Hospital (Stop B, westbound)3 min walk to A&E
10First BusWeymouth ↔ Poundbury
10AFirst BusWeymouth ↔ Dorchester
6Go-AheadDorchester
C2First BusDorchester ↔ Bradpole
Dorset County Hospital (Stop C, eastbound)3 min walk to A&E
10First BusPoundbury ↔ Weymouth
10AFirst BusDorchester ↔ Weymouth
6Go-AheadDorchester
6Damory CoachesPoundbury ↔ Dorchester
C2First BusBradpole ↔ Dorchester
CR9Go-AheadDorchester ↔ Blandford
X51First BusBridport ↔ Weymouth
Damers Road School (E-bound, eastbound)3 min walk to A&E
1Go-AheadDorchester
1Damory CoachesDorchester
Plan journey by public transport
What’s available here
Accessibility
Braille Translation ServiceDisabled ParkingDisabled WcInduction LoopStep 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
Food and Amenities On-site
CafePharmacyShop

About Dorset County Hospital

Dorset County Hospital runs a 24-hour accident and emergency department, open to all ages, on Williams Avenue in Dorchester, Dorset, part of Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation 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 41 listed departments and services, from Audiology services (community) to Urology.

The Care Quality Commission rates it Good, last inspected in June 2023. The site lists 1,064 parking spaces, 78 of them designated disabled bays, with patient parking averaging £1.23 an hour.

Official NHS performance

59.3%seen within 4 hours
4,864attendances in September 2026
60.4%England average for major A&Es

NHS England publishes these figures for Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as a whole, covering every A&E the trust runs rather than this site alone. That is below the England average of 60.4% for major A&E departments over the same month.

The trust's general and acute wards averaged 95.9% 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 hours12hr+ waits to admit
2023-2452,0924,34163.0%334
2024-2550,1844,18259.6%545
2025-2654,6224,55264.3%723
2026-27 (6 months)29,6474,94156.2%325

Between 2023-24 and 2025-26, monthly A&E attendances rose 5% and the share seen within four hours improved by 1.3 percentage points.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check the current A&E wait time at Dorset County Hospital?

The live waiting time for the A&E at Dorset County 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 Dorset County 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 Dorset County 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 Dorset County Hospital is doing right now. NHS England's most recent figures (September 2026) show 59.3% 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 Dorset County Hospital recently, submitting your wait takes a few seconds and helps others plan.

Is the A&E at Dorset County Hospital open 24 hours?

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

Where is Dorset County Hospital and how do I get there?

Dorset County Hospital is at Williams Avenue, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 2JY. For general enquiries call 01305 251150. Enter your postcode in the Getting here section for a door-to-door route.

Is parking free at Dorset County Hospital?

No - patient and visitor parking here averages about £1.23 an hour (NHS estates return, 2024-25). The site lists 1,064 parking spaces, including 78 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 Dorset County Hospital?

Dorset County Hospital is rated Good overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England, following an inspection in June 2023. You can read the full CQC report.

Can children be treated at Dorset County 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 Dorset County Hospital a Major Trauma Centre?

No - Dorset County 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 previously had a live data feed but is no longer being updated. Historical averages from past NHS data are shown below. Current waiting times are reported by visitors and may not reflect actual 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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