Colchester General Hospital
NHS hospital · Colchester
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Colchester General Hospital is an NHS hospital in Colchester, Essex, run by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust. See whether it has an A&E, its phone number, visiting and how to get there.
At a glance
- A&E
- A&E open 24 hours
- Planned care wait
- Half waited less than 14 weeks (whole trust)
- CQC rating
- Requires improvement (published 8 October 2025)
- Telephone
- 01206 747474
Information checked 16 October 2026.
Urgent help
Call 999 or go to A&E if someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk. For urgent help that is not an emergency, use NHS 111 online or call 111.
Waiting times at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
These figures are for the whole trust, which runs 2 hospitals listed on this site, not just Colchester General Hospital. Waits at this hospital may be shorter or longer.
Other hospitals in this trust:
A&E: time spent in A&E
58.8% of people who went to the trust’s major A&E departments in September 2026 were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours.
12,846 attendances. England average for major A&E departments: 60.6%. In an emergency, go to the nearest A&E or call 999.
Compare A&E waiting times at other hospitals.
Waiting for planned treatment
These are people who were still waiting at the end of August 2026 for non-urgent treatment led by a consultant, counted from the referral. The table shows the trust’s 5 specialties with the most people waiting. “Half waited less than” is the median wait. The NHS maximum waiting time for non-urgent, consultant-led treatment is 18 weeks.
| Specialty | People waiting | Half waited less than | 92 in 100 waited less than | Waiting under 18 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ear, nose and throat | 10,900 | 18 weeks | 40 weeks | 51.3% |
| Trauma and orthopaedics | 10,691 | 17 weeks | 41 weeks | 52.2% |
| Dermatology | 10,568 | 10 weeks | 31 weeks | 71.5% |
| Gynaecology | 9,386 | 15 weeks | 41 weeks | 56.8% |
| Ophthalmology | 9,217 | 12 weeks | 36 weeks | 64.1% |
| All specialties | 95,324 | 14 weeks | 39 weeks | 60.5% |
Show all 17 specialties at this trust
| Specialty | People waiting | Half waited less than | 92 in 100 waited less than | Waiting under 18 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General surgery | 6,962 | 16 weeks | 41 weeks | 54.9% |
| Urology | 6,157 | 14 weeks | 41 weeks | 58.7% |
| Oral surgery | 3,957 | 19 weeks | 44 weeks | 47.2% |
| Neurology | 3,862 | 19 weeks | 45 weeks | 47.7% |
| Gastroenterology | 3,802 | 11 weeks | 38 weeks | 67.1% |
| Cardiology | 3,176 | 9.8 weeks | 34 weeks | 73.1% |
| Rheumatology | 2,362 | 15 weeks | 42 weeks | 58% |
| Respiratory medicine | 1,578 | 8.7 weeks | 27 weeks | 82.3% |
| Children's services (paediatrics) | 723 | 10 weeks | 27 weeks | 73.4% |
| General internal medicine | 624 | 25 weeks | 51 weeks | 35.4% |
| Plastic surgery | 323 | 12 weeks | 39 weeks | 69% |
| Elderly medicine | 180 | 4.0 weeks | 11 weeks | 97.8% |
If your GP refers you, in most cases you have the legal right to choose which hospital you go to for your first appointment. Compare waiting times at hospitals near you.
Source: NHS England, Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times (August 2026, published 8 October 2026) and A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions (September 2026). Official statistics for the trust as a whole. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence.
Procedures at this hospital
Published figures for Colchester General Hospital from national audits and NHS statistics, from the UK Hospitals Guide. Each guide page explains what the figures mean and compares hospitals in the East of England. This is not a ranking.
Figures for this hospital
- Hip replacement
495Joint replacements, all joints, 2025 (NJR)
Middle hospital in the East of England: 752.5400 to 749. NJR outlier analysis (90-day mortality and revision rates): Identified as an outlier: hip 10-year revision - Knee replacement
495Joint replacements, all joints, 2025 (NJR)
Middle hospital in the East of England: 752.5400 to 749. NJR outlier analysis (revision rates): Not identified as an outlier - Hip fracture surgery
641People treated for a hip fracture, 2025 (NHFD)
Middle hospital in the East of England: 468500 or more. Deaths within 30 days (case-mix adjusted): 3% - Emergency bowel surgery (emergency laparotomy)
149Emergency laparotomies, NELA year 11
Middle hospital in the East of England: 108.5100 to 149. Deaths within 30 days (risk-adjusted): Within the 95% funnel limits - Stroke care
159Stroke patients, January to March 2026 (SSNAP)
Middle hospital in the East of England: 166.5Stroke team. 150 to 249. SSNAP level (A is highest, E lowest): Level E
Figures for the whole trust
These are published for the trust as a whole. The operation may be done at another of its hospitals.
- Bowel cancer surgery Major bowel cancer operations, 2024 (NBOCA): 200 or more (319). Deaths within 90 days of surgery (adjusted): 2.7%
- Prostate cancer surgery (radical prostatectomy) Men having a radical prostatectomy (NPCA): fewer than 100 (21). Emergency readmission within 90 days (adjusted): 5.9%
- Breast cancer surgery Women having breast cancer surgery, 2021 to 2023 (NAoPri): 1,500 or more (1,687). Further operation after breast-conserving surgery (adjusted): 11.2%
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair Planned (elective) AAA repairs in 2024 (NVR): 50 or more (68). Deaths in hospital after planned repair (adjusted): 1.7%
- Carotid endarterectomy Carotid endarterectomies in 2024 (NVR): 40 to 49 (49). Stroke or death within 30 days (adjusted): 0.0%
- Leg artery bypass and angioplasty (peripheral arterial disease) Leg artery bypass operations in 2024 (NVR): 100 to 149 (122). Deaths in hospital after bypass (adjusted): 1.6%
- Major leg amputation Major leg amputations in 2024 (NVR): 30 to 49 (46). Deaths in hospital within 30 days (adjusted): 4.7%
- Carpal tunnel release treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 2,500 or more
- Lumbar decompression (lower back surgery) treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 1,000 or more
- Coronary artery bypass graft (heart bypass) treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 1,500 to 2,999
- Coronary angioplasty and stents treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 1,500 to 2,999
- Varicose vein treatment treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 3,000 or more
- Inguinal hernia repair treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 3,000 or more
- Gallbladder removal treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 2,000 or more
- Haemorrhoid (piles) surgery
- Weight loss surgery
- Cataract surgery treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 7,500 or more
- Tonsil removal (tonsillectomy) treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 3,000 or more
- Grommets for glue ear treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 500 to 749
- Hysterectomy treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 3,000 or more
- Giving birth and caesarean section treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 5,000 or more
- Prostate surgery for an enlarged prostate (TURP)
- Kidney stone treatment
Sources: national clinical audits (NJR, NHFD, NELA, SSNAP, NATCAN, NVR) and NHS England statistics, under the Open Government Licence or CC BY 4.0. Data updated 26 October 2026.
Opening times
Opening days and times
Hospital wards are staffed 24 hours a day. The A&E department is open 24 hours a day, every day.
Outpatient clinics, tests and scans run at set times. Your appointment letter or text message tells you when and where to go.
See Visiting for visiting times.
A&E status: NHS England emergency care data (Emergency Care Data Set, August 2026).
Appointments and access
First outpatient appointments
To see a specialist at an NHS hospital, you usually need a referral, for example from your GP, dentist or optometrist.
In most cases you have the right to choose which hospital you are referred to for your first outpatient appointment.
Your referral is usually booked through the NHS e-Referral Service. You can then manage it in the NHS App or on the NHS website.
Some services let you refer yourself, such as maternity care.
If you already have an appointment, use the phone number on your appointment letter.
Contact the hospital to book or to ask about appointments.
Contact
Main telephone
Telephone: 01206 747474
Contact the hospital to book or to ask about appointments.
Location and travel
Address and map
Colchester General Hospital
Turner Road
Colchester
CO4 5JL
Find care near here
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
Car parking
Number-plate recognition is in use, so you pay only for the time you stay, by bank card, mobile phone or cash at the machines. Up to 30 minutes is free; up to 1 hour is £3, up to 2 hours £4, up to 4 hours £5, up to 5 hours £7 and up to 8 hours £10.
Parking is free for Blue Badge holders. Pre-register for an ongoing permit on a smart device, or register a daily permit at the main reception desk.
From the hospital's car parking page, checked 15 November 2026. Charges and car park rules can change, so check before you travel.
NHS hospitals in England must offer free car parking to Blue Badge holders who are patients or visitors, outpatients who attend at least 3 times in a month for at least 3 months, the parent or guardian of a child under 18 staying in overnight (7.30pm to 8am, up to 2 vehicles) and staff working night shifts. Ask the hospital how to claim it, as you may need to register your vehicle.
Source: NHS car parking guidance, Department of Health and Social Care (updated 29 March 2022), checked 15 November 2026.
Facilities
We do not have details of step-free access, parking or other facilities here yet. If you need them, contact the hospital before you go.
Visiting
Visiting times
Visitors are welcome between 8am and 8pm, with two visitors at a time at the bedside on adult inpatient wards. Children's wards, maternity, critical care and cancer wards can differ.
From the hospital's visiting page, checked 15 November 2026.
Book, change or complain
- Book or manage your first outpatient appointment
- Patient advice (PALS) and other contact details
- This hospital on the NHS website
- Manage your referral (NHS e-Referral Service)
- What the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) does
- Read inspection reports (CQC)
- Get an email when CQC inspects this hospital
- Tell CQC about your care
- Find your local Healthwatch
About this hospital
| Run by | East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust |
|---|---|
| Providers with services here | East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust |
| Type | NHS hospital |
| NHS or private | NHS |
| Local authority | Colchester |
More details
| CQC location ID | RDEE4 |
|---|
Official website: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust website
Hospital services
CQC lists these regulated service types at this location:
- Hospital
- Hospitals - Mental health/capacity
Service types are regulatory categories, not a full list of departments. Being registered for a service does not always mean it is running now. Check with the hospital.
Also on this site
Other NHS organisations are registered with the CQC for services at this site. Each rating belongs to that organisation's registration only.
- Colchester Hospital Mental Health Wards – run by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. CQC rating: not rated at this registration. CQC record
Regulation and quality
This location is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The latest published ratings are below.
| Area | Rating | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | Requires improvement | 8 October 2025 |
| Caring | Good | 8 October 2025 |
| Effective | Good | 8 October 2025 |
| Responsive | Requires improvement | 8 October 2025 |
| Safe | Inadequate | 8 October 2025 |
| Well-led | Requires improvement | 8 October 2025 |
Read the CQC report for Colchester General Hospital
Frequently asked questions
What is the telephone number for Colchester General Hospital?
Telephone: 01206 747474.
Is there parking at Colchester General Hospital?
Number-plate recognition is in use, so you pay only for the time you stay, by bank card, mobile phone or cash at the machines. Up to 30 minutes is free; up to 1 hour is £3, up to 2 hours £4, up to 4 hours £5, up to 5 hours £7 and up to 8 hours £10. Parking is free for Blue Badge holders. Pre-register for an ongoing permit on a smart device, or register a daily permit at the main reception desk. Checked 15 November 2026.
What are the visiting hours at Colchester General Hospital?
Visitors are welcome between 8am and 8pm, with two visitors at a time at the bedside on adult inpatient wards. Children's wards, maternity, critical care and cancer wards can differ. Checked 15 November 2026; wards can change their times, so check before you go.
What is the CQC rating of Colchester General Hospital?
The latest overall CQC rating is Requires improvement, published 8 October 2025.
Nearby hospitals
No A&E
St. Peters Hospital, Maldon, CM9 6EG
About 15.8 miles away
A&E open 24 hours
Heath Road, Ipswich, IP4 5PD
About 16.3 miles away
Mental health hospital · No A&E
Lexden Site, Colchester, CO3 4DB
About 2.3 miles away
Community hospital · No A&E
Chadwick Drive, Braintree, CM7 2AL
About 15.4 miles away
Distances are straight-line estimates from postcode locations.
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Printed from https://ukhospitals.uk/hospital/colchester-general-hospital/ on 15 November 2026.