A&E Trauma Unit

Ipswich A&E Live Waiting Times

Ipswich Hospital

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Latest report
10 min
16 hr ago
Average
7 hr 30 min
14 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
Sheppey MIU
47.7 mi away
Long wait
Princess Alexandra Hospital Children's A&E
51.3 mi away
Long wait
Princess Alexandra Hospital A&E
51.3 mi away
Long wait
Princess Alexandra Hospital Same Day Emergency Care A&E
51.3 mi away
Long wait
Sittingbourne MIU
53.7 mi away
Long wait

There are also other nearby A&Es which collect wait times from the community, including Colchester Hospital, West Suffolk Hospital and Mid Essex Hospital.

Contact & location
Heath Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 5PD
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
Entrance217 min walk to A&E
Entrance117 min walk to A&E
Entrance317 min walk to A&E
Entrance47 min walk to A&E
Bus stops
11 routes·3 operators·5 stops within walking distance
Heath Road Hospital (adj, northbound)3 min walk to A&E
5EIpswich BusesIpswich ↔ Rushmere
6Ipswich BusesCopleston ↔ Ipswich
75First BusFelixstowe ↔ Ipswich
77First BusFelixstowe Dock ↔ Ipswich
978First BusOld Felixstowe ↔ Rushmere
Ipswich Hospital (Stand B)3 min walk to A&E
6Ipswich BusesCopleston ↔ Ipswich
Ipswich Hospital (Stand A)3 min walk to A&E
2Ipswich BusesCopleston ↔ Ipswich
Ipswich Hospital (Stand C)3 min walk to A&E
800First BusCopdock ↔ Rendlesham
800First Eastern Counties
Heath Road Hospital (opp, southbound)3 min walk to A&E
75First BusIpswich ↔ Grange Farm
75First Eastern Counties
77First BusIpswich ↔ Felixstowe Dock
77First Eastern Counties
978First BusRushmere ↔ Old Felixstowe
978First Eastern Counties
Plan journey by public transport
What’s available here
Accessibility
Braille Translation ServiceDisabled ParkingDisabled WcSigning Service AvailableStep Free AccessWheelchair Access
Accommodation
Access To TvInternet AccessMobile Phones PermittedPublic Telephone
Parking
Car ParkingCycle ParkingDisabled Parking
Bringing Children to Ipswich Hospital
Baby Changing FacilityParent And Baby Room
Counselling and Support
Bereavement SupportTranslation Services
Faith Services
On-Site ChapelPrayer Area
Food and Amenities On-site
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 are clean
Waiting area feels safe
Family
Children’s play area available
Separate children’s waiting area
Facilities
Seating can be limited
TV in the waiting area
Food and drink available nearby
Phone charging points available
Free WiFi is available
Mobile signal is good
Parking
Parking can get busy
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 Ipswich Hospital

Ipswich Hospital runs a 24-hour accident and emergency department, open to all ages, on Heath Road in Ipswich, Suffolk, part of East Suffolk and North Essex 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 45 listed departments and services, from Breast Surgery to Vascular surgery.

The site lists 2,097 parking spaces, 84 of them designated disabled bays, with patient parking averaging £1.33 an hour.

Official NHS performance

58.8%seen within 4 hours
12,846attendances in September 2026
60.4%England average for major A&Es

NHS England publishes these figures for East Suffolk and North Essex 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.

In the NHS Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 79% of 309 patients who responded at this site reported a positive experience. The trust's general and acute wards averaged 95.8% 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
2023-24170,36014,19753.2%2,936
2024-25164,27113,68951.1%6,143
2025-26138,74811,56251.6%6,119
2026-27 (6 months)72,82112,13758.8%3,520

Between 2023-24 and 2025-26, monthly A&E attendances fell 19% and the share seen within four hours fell by 1.6 percentage points.

Frequently asked questions

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

The live waiting time for the A&E at Ipswich 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 Ipswich 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 Ipswich 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 Ipswich Hospital is doing right now. NHS England's most recent figures (September 2026) show 58.8% 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 Ipswich Hospital recently, submitting your wait takes a few seconds and helps others plan.

Is the A&E at Ipswich Hospital open 24 hours?

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

Where is Ipswich Hospital and how do I get there?

Ipswich Hospital is at Heath Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 5PD. For general enquiries call 01473 712233. Enter your postcode in the Getting here section for a door-to-door route.

Is parking free at Ipswich Hospital?

No - patient and visitor parking here averages about £1.33 an hour (NHS estates return, 2024-25). The site lists 2,097 parking spaces, including 84 designated disabled bays. Concessions often apply for blue badge holders, frequent attenders and some patients - check the hospital's own parking page.

Can children be treated at Ipswich 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 Ipswich Hospital a Major Trauma Centre?

No - Ipswich 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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