The County Hospital
NHS hospital · Hereford
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The County Hospital is an NHS hospital in Hereford, run by Wye Valley NHS 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 12 weeks (whole trust)
- CQC rating
- Requires improvement (published 28 February 2024)
- Telephone
- 01432 355444
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 Wye Valley NHS Trust
These figures are for the whole trust, which runs 4 hospitals listed on this site, not just The County Hospital. Waits at this hospital may be shorter or longer.
Other hospitals in this trust:
A&E: time spent in A&E
59.2% of people who went to the trust’s major A&E departments in September 2026 were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours.
6,436 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trauma and orthopaedics | 3,101 | 17 weeks | 47 weeks | 53% |
| Ophthalmology | 2,252 | 9.9 weeks | 26 weeks | 74.5% |
| Ear, nose and throat | 2,248 | 15 weeks | 39 weeks | 59.8% |
| Gynaecology | 1,973 | 16 weeks | 41 weeks | 55% |
| Cardiology | 1,477 | 16 weeks | 40 weeks | 57.5% |
| All specialties | 23,032 | 12 weeks | 38 weeks | 65.8% |
Show all 18 specialties at this trust
| Specialty | People waiting | Half waited less than | 92 in 100 waited less than | Waiting under 18 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respiratory medicine | 1,378 | 11 weeks | 30 weeks | 77.4% |
| Gastroenterology | 1,310 | 13 weeks | 41 weeks | 63.4% |
| Urology | 1,283 | 11 weeks | 34 weeks | 72.2% |
| Dermatology | 1,130 | 9.0 weeks | 27 weeks | 79.6% |
| Oral surgery | 793 | 19 weeks | 41 weeks | 46.7% |
| General surgery | 754 | 13 weeks | 38 weeks | 62.9% |
| Neurology | 615 | 13 weeks | 36 weeks | 63.6% |
| Rheumatology | 375 | 10 weeks | 22 weeks | 88% |
| Plastic surgery | 304 | 11 weeks | 37 weeks | 68.8% |
| Children's services (paediatrics) | 266 | 9.8 weeks | 25 weeks | 83.5% |
| Elderly medicine | 154 | 10 weeks | 28 weeks | 79.2% |
| Cardiothoracic surgery | 33 | 8.8 weeks | 24 weeks | 81.8% |
| General internal medicine | 28 | 17 weeks | 43 weeks | 57.1% |
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 The County 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 West Midlands. This is not a ranking.
Figures for this hospital
- Hip replacement
948Joint replacements, all joints, 2025 (NJR)
Middle hospital in the West Midlands: 840.5750 to 999. NJR outlier analysis (90-day mortality and revision rates): Not identified as an outlier - Knee replacement
948Joint replacements, all joints, 2025 (NJR)
Middle hospital in the West Midlands: 840.5750 to 999. NJR outlier analysis (revision rates): Not identified as an outlier - Hip fracture surgery
384People treated for a hip fracture, 2025 (NHFD)
Middle hospital in the West Midlands: 436300 to 399. Deaths within 30 days (case-mix adjusted): 6% - Emergency bowel surgery (emergency laparotomy)
118Emergency laparotomies, NELA year 11
Middle hospital in the West Midlands: 117100 to 149. Deaths within 30 days (risk-adjusted): Within the 95% funnel limits - Stroke care
148Stroke patients, January to March 2026 (SSNAP)
Middle hospital in the West Midlands: 188Stroke team. 75 to 149. 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): 100 to 149 (105). Deaths within 90 days of surgery (adjusted): 4%
- Prostate cancer surgery (radical prostatectomy) Men having a radical prostatectomy (NPCA): fewer than 100 (14). Emergency readmission within 90 days (adjusted): 0.0%
- Breast cancer surgery Women having breast cancer surgery, 2021 to 2023 (NAoPri): fewer than 600 (420). Further operation after breast-conserving surgery (adjusted): 18.1%
- Carpal tunnel release treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: fewer than 750
- Lumbar decompression (lower back surgery) treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: fewer than 150
- Coronary artery bypass graft (heart bypass) treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 750 to 1,499
- Coronary angioplasty and stents treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 750 to 1,499
- Varicose vein treatment treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: fewer than 600
- Inguinal hernia repair treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: fewer than 1,500
- Gallbladder removal treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 750 to 999
- Haemorrhoid (piles) surgery
- Weight loss surgery
- Cataract surgery treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 1,500 to 2,999
- Tonsil removal (tonsillectomy) treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 1,000 to 1,499
- Grommets for glue ear treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: 300 to 499
- Hysterectomy treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: fewer than 1,500
- Giving birth and caesarean section treatments across all the trust’s hospitals: fewer than 3,000
- 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.
Visiting information on the hospital website
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: 01432 355444
Contact the hospital to book or to ask about appointments.
Location and travel
Address and map
The County Hospital
County Hospital
Union Walk
Hereford
HR1 2ER
Find care near here
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
Public transport and parking
Links found on the official website, checked 24 October 2026.
Getting here by public transport
Nearest station:
- Hereford about 9 minutes' walkNational Rail
Nearest bus stop: County Hospital, Hospital Grounds. Off Stonebow Road, about 2 minutes' walk.
Public transport directions (opens Google Maps)
Walking times are estimates from the straight-line distance to the hospital. Stations and bus stops are from the National Public Transport Access Nodes (NaPTAN), Department for Transport, 26 October 2026. NaPTAN does not list which routes call at each stop: check the operator or a journey planner before you travel, especially if you need step-free access. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Car parking
There are barrier-controlled Car Parks 1, 2 and 3, plus pay and display areas next to the Fred Bulmer building and Acute Medical Unit. Motorbike parking is free.
Parking is free for Blue Badge holders for the length of their visit; in pay and display areas display the badge with arrival time, and in the barrier car parks take the badge to the car parking hut in Car Park 2 or the general office by main reception to get a free exit concession.
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
Most adult wards, including the Acute Medical Unit, allow a maximum of two visitors at a time between 10am and 7pm. Intensive care allows two visitors between 11am and 1pm and 3pm to 7pm.
From the hospital's visiting page, checked 15 November 2026.
Visiting times and rules can change, for example during outbreaks. Check the hospital's own pages before you go:
Links found on the hospital's official website, checked 24 October 2026.
Book, change or complain
- How to book a hospital appointment
- 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
| Provider | Wye Valley NHS Trust |
|---|---|
| Type | NHS hospital |
| NHS or private | NHS |
| Local authority | Herefordshire |
More details
| NHS organisation code | RLQ01 |
|---|---|
| CQC location ID | RLQ01 |
Official website: The County Hospital website
Hospital services
CQC lists these regulated service types at this location:
- Community services - Healthcare
- Dentist
- Diagnosis/screening
- Hospital
- Hospitals - Mental health/capacity
- Long-term conditions
- Phone/online advice
- Urgent care centres
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.
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 | 28 February 2024 |
| Caring | Good | 28 February 2024 |
| Effective | Requires improvement | 28 February 2024 |
| Responsive | Requires improvement | 28 February 2024 |
| Safe | Requires improvement | 28 February 2024 |
| Well-led | Requires improvement | 28 February 2024 |
Read the CQC report for The County Hospital
Frequently asked questions
What is the telephone number for The County Hospital?
Telephone: 01432 355444.
Is there parking at The County Hospital?
There are barrier-controlled Car Parks 1, 2 and 3, plus pay and display areas next to the Fred Bulmer building and Acute Medical Unit. Motorbike parking is free. Parking is free for Blue Badge holders for the length of their visit; in pay and display areas display the badge with arrival time, and in the barrier car parks take the badge to the car parking hut in Car Park 2 or the general office by main reception to get a free exit concession. Checked 15 November 2026.
What are the visiting hours at The County Hospital?
Most adult wards, including the Acute Medical Unit, allow a maximum of two visitors at a time between 10am and 7pm. Intensive care allows two visitors between 11am and 1pm and 3pm to 7pm. Checked 15 November 2026; wards can change their times, so check before you go.
What is the CQC rating of The County Hospital?
The latest overall CQC rating is Requires improvement, published 28 February 2024.
Nearby hospitals
Mental health hospital · No A&E
Stonebow Road, Hereford, HR1 2BN
About 0.1 miles away
Community hospital · No A&E
Alton Street, Ross On Wye, HR9 5AD
About 11.3 miles away
Community hospital · No A&E
South Street, Leominster, HR6 8JH
About 11.6 miles away
Community hospital · No A&E
Frome Bank, Bromyard, HR7 4QN
About 12.3 miles away
Distances are straight-line estimates from postcode locations.
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Printed from https://ukhospitals.uk/hospital/the-county-hospital/ on 15 November 2026.