NHS Herne Bay UTC Live Waiting Times
Also known as: Herne Bay UTC, Herne Bay Urgent Treatment Centre, Herne Bay MIU, Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital, Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital Herne Bay, Herne Bay Minor Injuries Unit
Last updated sourced from Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
Currently Closed
This Urgent Treatment Centre is currently closed. Please check back during opening hours (8am to 8pm).
8am to 8pm, every day of the year
Hospital details
Herne Bay, CT6 6EB
About Herne Bay UTC
Herne Bay UTC is an NHS urgent treatment centre in the grounds of the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital on King Edward Avenue, Herne Bay, Kent. The community hospital is run by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, and the urgent treatment centre is run by local GPs. It is a walk-in service for urgent but non life-threatening illnesses and injuries — sprains and strains, minor head injuries, cuts and wounds, wound infections, minor burns and scalds, bites, and minor eye injuries — open from 8am to 8pm every day, including bank holidays, with on-site X-ray available Monday to Thursday. Herne Bay UTC is not a 24-hour A&E; for life-threatening emergencies the nearest emergency departments are the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate and William Harvey Hospital in Ashford. Current Herne Bay UTC waiting times are tracked here in real time, sourced from NHS Kent and Medway.
Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC)
An Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) is for urgent but not life-threatening illnesses and injuries that need same-day care — sprains and strains, suspected broken bones, minor head injuries, cuts and wounds, minor burns, bites, and minor eye injuries. Herne Bay UTC is GP-led with X-ray on site Monday to Thursday, open 8am to 8pm every day — it is not a 24-hour A&E. For chest pain, suspected stroke, severe bleeding, difficulty breathing or any life-threatening emergency, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E (QEQM, Margate). If you are unsure which service you need, call NHS 111 first.
Departments & Services
- Urgent Treatment Centre (8am-8pm daily)
- Minor Injuries Treatment
- X-ray and Diagnostic Imaging (Mon-Thu)
- Inpatient Ward
- Outpatient Clinics
Herne Bay UTC A&E Wait Times in Herne Bay — Last 24 Hours
| Hour | Avg. Wait |
|---|---|
Today, 9 PM | 0 min |
Today, 8 PM | 0 min |
Today, 7 PM | 0 min |
Today, 6 PM | 0 min |
Today, 5 PM | 0 min |
Today, 4 PM | 0 min |
Today, 3 PM | 0 min |
Today, 2 PM | 0 min |
Nearest A&E alternatives
See live A&E wait times at other NHS hospitals near Herne Bay UTC
How Herne Bay UTC compares to nearby hospitals
Herne Bay UTC is a GP-run urgent treatment centre at a community hospital, so the fair comparison is with other urgent and minor-injury services rather than with a full emergency department. It handles sprains and strains, minor head injuries, cuts and wounds, wound infections, minor burns, bites and minor eye injuries. Serious and life-threatening emergencies for the Herne Bay area are dealt with at the 24-hour A&E departments at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate and William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.
Within NHS Kent and Medway, the closest comparable services publishing live waits on the same feed are Estuary View in Whitstable — about ten minutes' drive along the coast, with X-ray available Monday to Saturday — and the 24-hour UTC at Kent and Canterbury Hospital inland. Both are genuine alternatives when Herne Bay is busy. The nearest-alternatives section above lists the closest comparable sites with their current waits so you can make a like-for-like choice. Wait times at any single UTC can change quickly, so a live side-by-side comparison is far more useful than any single-site average — and for anything potentially serious, an A&E is the right place even if its wait looks longer.
Herne Bay UTC — frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions about waiting times and visiting this UTC.
What is the average UTC waiting time at Herne Bay UTC?
As of the latest update, the current UTC wait at Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital is 10 minutes (about 10 min). This figure is labelled "Live" — see the freshness badge next to the wait number for the exact source and timestamp. Wait times fluctuate throughout the day, so this may not be the exact time you wait.
What time is Herne Bay UTC least busy?
Across most UK Urgent Treatment Centres, the quietest period is typically between 4am and 7am, with a secondary lull around mid-morning on weekdays. Friday and Saturday evenings, as well as Monday mornings, generally see the longest waits. Check the Wait History above to see the recent trends for Herne Bay UTC.
Is there a way to check UTC wait times for Herne Bay UTC?
Yes, you can check the live UTC waiting times for Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital right here on this page. We update this data regularly based on the information provided by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust.
How long can Herne Bay UTC make you wait?
Urgent Treatment Centres like Herne Bay UTC are designed for minor injuries and illnesses, not life-threatening emergencies. Most patients are seen within a few hours, but waits depend on how busy the unit is and the nature of your condition. If your condition is potentially serious, you should go to a full A&E department or call 999.
How often are wait times updated at Herne Bay UTC?
The wait times for Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital are updated based on the data feed from Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust. The exact time of the last update is shown at the top of this page.
What does 'Current Longest Wait Time' mean at Herne Bay UTC?
The 'Current Longest Wait Time' typically refers to the longest time any non-admitted patient has been waiting to be seen by a doctor or nurse practitioner after arriving at the UTC department. It gives an indication of the maximum wait you might experience for non-life-threatening conditions.
What are the opening hours of Herne Bay UTC?
Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital is an Urgent Treatment Centre and is not open 24 hours a day. Current opening hours: 8am to 8pm. For 24-hour emergency care, go to your nearest A&E department or, if your condition is life-threatening, call 999. For non-urgent medical concerns, please call NHS 111 first.
How do I get to Herne Bay UTC?
Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital is located at King Edward Avenue, Herne Bay, CT6 6EB. The UTC entrance is usually clearly signposted on arrival. If you need to contact them before travelling, the hospital switchboard is +44 1227 594756.