Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM)

Plan your route

You might find the following websites useful in planning your route to our hospital (other websites are available)

Please note: The postcode for the St Peter's Road entrance is CT9 4AN and the postcode for the Ramsgate Road entrance is CT9 4BG.

• Kentconnected.org - Use the Kent Connected website to plan your entire journey by public transport, car, cycle or by foot.

• AA Map finder - enter your postcode, town or area to find online maps of your area

• Google Maps- enter your postcode, town or area and the hospital postcode. 

• AA Route Planner - you can search for a route using street or postcode, town or city and enter the hospital postcode.

• Follow @KentHighways for the latest information on traffic and travel news or visit the Kent Government website

Car parks

Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR)

Visitor parking at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital operates on a barrier-controlled automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) basis. Car parks are situated on both the Ramsgate Road and St Peter's Road sides of the hospital.

Simply drive up to the car park entrance. The camera will read your number plate and the barrier will automatically rise. 

After your hospital appointment / visit is over, pay for your parking at one of the pay machines located near each of the hospital entrances. You will need to enter your vehicle number plate, and then pay either by contactless card (or smartphone), or by coin (correct change only). 

After paying, return to your vehicle and head to the exit where the camera will detect you have paid and the barrier will rise.

Visitor parking (Ramsgate Road side)

Main car park - after entering from the traffic lights, follow the one-way road past main reception turning right at the crossroads and following the road round until you will reach visitor car park 4 with 50 bays (entrance on right).

A&E car park - alternatively, after entering from the traffic lights, turn immediately left and then first right to access Visitor car Park 5 with 48 bays.  

Find Ramsgate Road visitor parking using what3words: ///ashes.hatch.order or visit what3words.com/ashes.hatch.order

Visitor parking (St Peter's Road side)

Enter from the highway opposite Maternity and immediately turn right for a 117 bay car park. At busy times, spaces can often be available at the Maternity end of this car park.

Find St Peters Road side visitor parking using what3words: ///spit.bronze.hands or visit what3words.com/spit.bronze.hands

Disabled parking (Ramsgate Road side)

From the traffic lights, drive straight on and you will see the entrance on your right (second turning) with 22 bays for blue-badge holders.

Disabled parking (St Peter's Road side)

Either enter opposite the St Peter’s Road entrance (27 bays), or opposite Maternity, turning left on entry (not through barriers) and follow road round towards Maternity (8 bays).

Patient drop-off bays are located directly outside the hospital entrances. These are intended for drop-off and pick-up only and we would ask you not to wait or park there as space is limited.

Staff parking areas are reserved for staff permit holders only – please be careful not to park in one of these as you may be liable to a parking ticket. Please also be mindful of areas signposted for restricted use, such as bays designated for Oncology patients near the Viking Day Unit.

Within the QEQM grounds, there are also separate car parks operated by the Pilgrims Hospice, the Thanet Mental Health Unit, and by Spencer Hospitals. All of these are reserved for their patients and visitors only.

Weekly permits and parking charges

Weekly permits can be obtained via the pay machines. On the touch screen, simply select the option “Buy 7 day pass”, enter your number plate, and pay £16. Your vehicle will then be able to enter and exit the car park for 7 days from that point.

For details of parking charges, please see Parking information and charges

Bus services

Stagecoach 'Loop' buses provide a frequent service between the hospital and other Thanet towns such as Margate, Cliftonville, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. The hospital is also served by buses from Canterbury, Birchington, Westgate and Northdown Park on route 8 or 8A.

To plan your bus journey to and from the QEQM Hospital, please use the Stagecoach journey planner or call Traveline on 0871 200 2233 (calls cost 12p per minute plus your phone company's access charge). Regent Coaches also offer buses from Herne Bay on route 36.

• Kentconnected.org - Use the Kent Connected website to plan your journey.

Train to Thanet (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital)

Ramsgate is the most convenient rail station for Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital. The Thanet Loop bus service runs a direct service every seven or eight minutes from Ramsgate station forecourt.

There are regular direct train services from Margate, Herne Bay, Faversham, Dover, Folkestone, Canterbury West and Ashford International, as well as many other stations.

Please visit the South Eastern Railway website for full details and times of rail connections and timetables.

For information on the PlusBus service, which adds unlimited bus travel around town when you purchase your train ticket, please visit the PlusBus website.

• Kentconnected.org - Use the Kent Connected website to plan your journey.

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust provides a free non-emergency ambulance healthcare transport service for patients who have a clinical and medical need for transport, where their current mobility needs would not allow them to use their own, or public transport to get to or from an NHS health care appointment.

To find out if you are eligible, please see Getting to our hospitals by NHS transport.