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Croydon Emergency Services: The Structure Behind Today's Provision
The borough's urgent care network rests on a single main hospital site and two satellite hubs that together deliver round-the-clock coverage.
How we reported this
Croydon University Hospital at 530 London Road, CR7 7YE, houses the borough’s only Emergency Department and provides 24/7 maternity care. Croydon Health Services NHS Trust runs this facility along with a second hospital and multiple community clinics that together deliver over 100 specialist services.
Why the current layout exists
Health planners concentrated specialist emergency resources at one central location to avoid duplication across a borough that stretches from the town centre to the southern edges. The same trust placed two urgent-care hubs alongside the main site so residents with minor illnesses could be seen without occupying the full Emergency Department. One hub operates inside Croydon University Hospital around the clock; the second sits at Purley Hospital and stays open from 8am to 8pm each day.
Mental-health support feeds into the same system. South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust supplies outpatient clinics at Croydon University Hospital and inpatient beds at Bethlem Royal. This split keeps acute physical emergencies and mental-health crises inside the same trust boundaries rather than scattering patients across separate providers.
Prevention work that supports the emergency system
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust also runs a nutrition service at the same London Road address. Staff there advise residents to fill at least half the plate with vegetables, salad or fruit while limiting starchy carbohydrates and protein to one-quarter or one-third. The trust promotes five varied portions of fruit and vegetables daily, higher-fibre starches, low-fat dairy and six to eight glasses of fluid. These messages appear in the Tier 3 Weight Management Service, which also teaches calorie monitoring and meal planning.
Free NHS Health Checks for people aged 40 to 74 without existing conditions are offered at selected GP practices and pharmacies. The checks aim to catch risks before they reach the point of an emergency admission.
Residents who need non-life-threatening care are directed first to the 24/7 Urgent Care Centre at Croydon University Hospital or the daytime service at Purley Hospital. Those eligible can book an NHS Health Check at a participating practice or pharmacy to reduce future pressure on the Emergency Department.