A&E Trauma Unit

Watford A&E Live Waiting Times

Watford General Hospital

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Latest report
4 hr 30 min
23 Aug 15:48
Average
2 hr 22 min
2 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 Same Day Emergency Care A&E
22.7 mi away
Long wait
Princess Alexandra Hospital A&E
22.7 mi away
Long wait
Princess Alexandra Hospital Children's A&E
22.7 mi away
Long wait
Milton Keynes Hospital A&E
29.7 mi away
Long wait
Milton Keynes Children's A&E
29.7 mi away
Long wait

There are also other nearby A&Es which collect wait times from the community, including Northwick Park Hospital, Barnet Hospital and Hillingdon Hospital.

Contact & location
60 Vicarage Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0HB
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
Watford High Street Rail Station13 min walk to A&E
Bushey Rail Station17 min walk to A&E
Watford Junction Rail Station23 min walk to A&E
Carpenders Park Rail Station32 min walk to A&E
Watford North Rail Station40 min walk to A&E
Metro / tram
Watford Underground Station18 min walk to A&E
Croxley Underground Station33 min walk to A&E
Moor Park Underground Station36 min walk to A&E
Northwood Underground Station55 min walk to A&E
Bus stops
11 routes·6 operators·5 stops within walking distance
Watford Hospital Car Park (opp, eastbound)2 min walk to A&E
321Arriva UK BusWatford ↔ Luton Town Centre
321Arriva Beds & Bucks
635UnoHatfield Business Park ↔ Watford
General Hospital (o/s, south-west)3 min walk to A&E
20Arriva UK BusWarners End ↔ Holywell
20Arriva Thameside
320Arriva UK BusHemel Hempstead ↔ Maple Cross
320Arriva Thameside
322Arriva UK BusHemel Hempstead ↔ Berry Lane Estate
322Arriva Thameside
W1Red Rose TravelGarston ↔ Maple Cross
W21Red EagleCarpenders Park ↔ Holywell
General Hospital (opp, north-east)3 min walk to A&E
20Arriva UK BusHolywell ↔ Warners End
320Arriva UK BusMaple Cross ↔ Hemel Hempstead
322Arriva UK BusBerry Lane Estate ↔ Hemel Hempstead
W1Red Rose TravelMaple Cross ↔ Garston
W21Red EagleHolywell ↔ Carpenders Park
Brightwell Road (opp, north-west)4 min walk to A&E
20Arriva UK BusWarners End ↔ Holywell
20Arriva Thameside
320Arriva UK BusHemel Hempstead ↔ Maple Cross
320Arriva Thameside
322Arriva UK BusHemel Hempstead ↔ Berry Lane Estate
322Arriva Thameside
W1Red Rose TravelGarston ↔ Maple Cross
W21Red EagleCarpenders Park ↔ Holywell
Brightwell Road (adj, south-east)5 min walk to A&E
20Arriva UK BusHolywell ↔ Warners End
320Arriva UK BusMaple Cross ↔ Hemel Hempstead
322Arriva UK BusBerry Lane Estate ↔ Hemel Hempstead
W1Red Rose TravelMaple Cross ↔ Garston
W21Red EagleHolywell ↔ Carpenders Park
Plan journey by public transport
Recent visitor feedbackreported by visitors
Parking
Parking is easy to find
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 Watford General Hospital

Watford General Hospital runs a 24-hour accident and emergency department, open to under 16 years, on 60 Vicarage Road in Watford, Hertfordshire, part of Royal Free London 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 37 listed departments and services, from Breast cancer services to Vascular surgery.

Official NHS performance

70.2%seen within 4 hours
27,458attendances in September 2026
60.4%England average for major A&Es

NHS England publishes these figures for Royal Free London 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, 79% of 2,242 patients who responded across the trust reported a positive experience. The trust's general and acute wards averaged 98.6% 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
2023-24196,54116,37854.1%7,884
2024-25233,04519,42062.1%12,057
2025-26313,77626,14866.4%22,650
2026-27 (6 months)160,86026,81070.9%11,408

Frequently asked questions

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

The live waiting time for the A&E at Watford General 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 Watford General 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 Watford General 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 Watford General Hospital is doing right now. NHS England's most recent figures (September 2026) show 70.2% 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 Watford General Hospital recently, submitting your wait takes a few seconds and helps others plan.

Is the A&E at Watford General Hospital open 24 hours?

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

Where is Watford General Hospital and how do I get there?

Watford General Hospital is at 60 Vicarage Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0HB. For general enquiries call 01923 244366. Enter your postcode in the Getting here section for a door-to-door route.

Can children be treated at Watford General Hospital A&E?

This 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 Watford General Hospital a Major Trauma Centre?

No - Watford General 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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