Getting to The Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth: the location, the stations and the stress-free arrival

One of the UK's oldest independent hospitals and a registered charity, The Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth traces its roots to the 19th century, when it relocated from Great Ormond Street to St John's Wood — its chapel moved brick by brick to the new site. Today it offers a broad range of private medical and surgical care, with profits supporting its St John's Hospice, which provides end-of-life care free of charge. For patients arriving for treatment, families visiting, and visitors to the hospice, the calm residential setting is part of its character — but parking is limited. This guide covers the journey to the door.

01 / LOCATIONWhere exactly is The Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth?

The hospital's address is 60 Grove End Road, St John's Wood, London NW8 9NH, in the City of Westminster, in a quiet, well-heeled residential area north of Regent's Park and close to Lord's Cricket Ground. The hospice sits within the same site.

02 / SITESThe hospital and the hospice

The site brings together the private hospital and its charitable hospice:

• Main hospital — 60 Grove End Road, with inpatient rooms, theatres, outpatients and the main reception.
• St John's Hospice — the charity's end-of-life care service, within the same site.
• The chapel — historically moved brick by brick from Great Ormond Street, part of the hospital's heritage.

Your appointment letter will confirm the entrance — useful in a building that combines hospital, outpatient and hospice services.

03 / STATIONSNearest stations and getting around

Public transport access is good:

• St John's Wood (Jubilee line) is the nearest Tube, a short walk away.
• Maida Vale (Bakerloo line) and Marylebone (Bakerloo and national rail) are within easy reach.
• Buses — routes along Grove End Road and Finchley Road serve the area.

For everyday journeys the links are good. The catch is the familiar one: easy when you're well and travelling light, much harder after a procedure, during treatment, or with an overnight bag for an inpatient stay.

04 / AIRPORTSAirport transfer times to The Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth

For international patients and visiting families, the airport run is the journey that matters most — and the one where a tired arrival meets London traffic. The board below gives realistic door-to-door driving times for a pre-booked private hire car. Treat them as a planning guide rather than a promise.

From Heathrow

Heathrow is the airport most international patients arrive through. The rail route is the Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express into central London, then the Jubilee line out to St John's Wood. A direct Heathrow airport transfer by car removes the changes entirely — a real advantage when you're unwell or carrying luggage — and the driver meets you in arrivals after baggage reclaim, taking you straight to the right hospital entrance.

From the other airports

From Gatwick, Luton and Stansted, the rail options involve a fast train into a London terminus followed by a Tube hop and a final walk with your bags. For a patient or a visiting family, one car, one driver and one fixed price is usually the gentler option.

The setting is calm once you've arrived. The arrival itself is the part worth planning.

05 / ARRIVINGArriving for an appointment or admission

On the day of an appointment, a procedure or an admission, arriving calm and on time is part of being ready. A pre-booked private hire transfer handles it neatly: a comfortable car to the exact entrance, a driver who knows the area, and a fixed fare set in advance so there's nothing to settle at a difficult moment. For an inpatient stay you can choose a vehicle sized to your bag, and door-to-door travel is far easier than steps and escalators if you have reduced mobility.

06 / VISITINGVisiting a patient

For relatives and friends visiting a patient, the same logic applies — often more so, since visits can fall outside rush hour, late in the evening or early in the morning when public transport is thinner. A pre-booked car means several family members arrive together at the right entrance, and older relatives for whom escalators and platform changes are tiring are spared the Underground. Because the fare is fixed and dispatch runs around the clock, a late visit costs the same as a midday one.

07 / NEARBYWhat's around The Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth

St John's Wood is a pleasant, green area for families and visitors:

• Regent's Park — open green space a short walk south.
• Lord's Cricket Ground — the famous ground nearby.
• St John's Wood High Street — cafés, delis and shops a few minutes away.
• Hotels — St John's Wood and Maida Vale offer quiet accommodation for visiting families.

08 / FAQFrequently asked questions