Hospitals
Your nearest hospital
To find the nearest hospital to you, please use our 'Find a local service' search.
Your nearest A&E Departments are:
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Stadium Road,Woolwich
London SE18 4QH
Princess Royal University Hospital
Farnborough Common, Orpington
Bromley, BR6 8ND
Darent Valley Hospital
Darenth Wood Road
Dartford, DA2 8DA
Improving hospital care
Find out more in the short video below how joined up health care will allow patients a higher level of service using electronic Summary care records.
Choose where to be treated
If you are referred to a specialist by your GP, you can now choose to be treated at any NHS funded hospital in England, including many private and independent sector hospitals.
Under the NHS Constitution, if you are awaiting treatment and you will have to wait longer than 18 weeks to be treated, then you have the right to request a suitable alternative hospital. Please contact the PALS service on 0800 3289 712 if you would like to discuss this.
Where you choose to go will depend on what is important for you. This might
be how near it is to your home or place of work, the length of time you will wait for
an appointment, if it has a good reputation for hygiene or if it has expertise for
treating your condition. For more information read the DH Freechoice leaflet in the Downloads section on the right hand side.
Will the hospital I find be culturally appropriate to my needs?
On the NHS Choices website you can search the range of services each hospital provides such as interpreters, dietary requirements, places of worship and then make a choice which best suits your individual needs.
Can I go to any hospital in the country?
You can go to any NHS funded hospital in the country that offers treatment appropriate to your condition.
Can I choose to go to a 'private hospital'?
Yes. If the hospital is NHS funded. We have 180 hospitals which are NHS
suppliers. If clinically appropriate to your condition, you can choose to be
referred to any one of these hospitals.
How can I find out which hospital is best for me?
- Have a look at the NHS Choices website, via the right hand link to compare hospitals in Bexley, other parts of London or across England
- Speak to your GP or someone at your GP practice about the best hospital to suit your needs and condition
- Contact the Bexley Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0800 328 9712 or Email: PALS@bexley.nhs.uk.
Choose and book
Choose and book is a service which is available to patients living in
England. It is an electronic booking system that allows you to choose
where you want to receive your treatment. You can choose from at least
four different hospitals. You can also choose the time and date of your
first outpatient appointment.
Your GP will be able to book the appointment directly for you while
you are at the surgery. Alternatively, you will be able to book from
home after you have had time to think about the options.
If you are unsure about which hospital or clinic to choose, speak to
your GP. They will be able to advise you on what might be the best
choice for you. You can also find out more information about a
particular hospital by visiting the NHS Choose and book website.
Hospital performance
If you want to find out about the performance of different hospitals and how patients have rated them over the last five years, you can do this via the NHS Choices website or the Care Quality Commission website.
The Care Quality Commission has replaced the Healthcare Commission as the independent inspection body for the NHS. It carries out national patient surveys and gives every hospital in England an annual rating or health check. It also publishes information about individual treatments and services like diabetes, maternity care and heart surgery survival rates.
