NHS private patient units in London: where they are and the stress-free way to arrive

An NHS private patient unit (PPU) is a private healthcare service operated by an NHS trust, usually within or beside its hospitals. Patients pay for private treatment, and the trusts reinvest the income into their NHS services — so choosing one supports the wider hospital. London has several of the country's largest, attached to world-leading teaching hospitals, and because they sit inside busy NHS sites scattered across the capital, the journey to the right door takes a little planning. This guide maps the main units and the calmest way to reach them.

01 / LOCATIONWhere are London's NHS private patient units?

Rather than one address, think in terms of trusts and their sites across central and inner London — from Euston Road and Marylebone in the centre, to London Bridge and Westminster by the river, to Paddington, Hammersmith and Denmark Hill further out. The single most important step before any journey is checking your appointment letter for the exact hospital and entrance, because the same trust may run several sites miles apart.

It also helps to know that these are large, busy NHS hospitals with limited parking, often inside the Congestion Charge and ULEZ zones, so a drop-off is generally the easiest way to arrive — particularly for an admission with luggage or when you're not feeling your best.

02 / SITESThe major units, trust by trust

The biggest London PPUs, and where they're based:

• UCLH Private Healthcare — around University College Hospital (Euston Road) and University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street (16-18 Westmoreland Street, W1G 8PH) for urology and thoracic care, plus the UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre. The trust's head office is at 250 Euston Road, NW1 2PG.
• Guy's & St Thomas' Specialist Care — bringing together expertise across Guy's Hospital (Great Maze Pond, SE1 9RT, by London Bridge), St Thomas' Hospital (Westminster Bridge Road, opposite the Houses of Parliament), Evelina London Children's Hospital and the Royal Brompton, with consulting rooms on Wimpole Street. Part of King's Health Partners.
• Imperial College Healthcare Private Care — across Charing Cross, Hammersmith, Queen Charlotte's and the Western Eye hospitals, and home to The Lindo Wing, the private maternity unit at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington famous as the birthplace of several royal babies.
• King's International & Private Patients — at King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, in south London.

Because one trust can span several hospitals, confirming the precise site and booking your car to that address is the surest way to avoid arriving at the wrong place.

03 / STATIONSNearest stations and getting around

Each site has its own nearest stations — a few of the key ones:

• UCLH — Euston, Euston Square, Warren Street and Great Portland Street; Westmoreland Street is near Regent's Park and Baker Street.
• Guy's & St Thomas' — London Bridge for Guy's; Westminster and Waterloo for St Thomas'.
• Imperial — Paddington for St Mary's and the Lindo Wing; Hammersmith and Barons Court for Charing Cross; East Acton and Wood Lane for Hammersmith Hospital.
• King's — Denmark Hill station (national rail and the Overground).

For everyday journeys the links are strong. 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 — and trickier still when you're not sure which of a trust's sites you need.

04 / AIRPORTSAirport transfer times to central London units

For international patients and visiting families, the airport run is the journey that matters most. The board below gives realistic door-to-door driving times to a central London unit by pre-booked car; outlying sites such as Hammersmith or Denmark Hill will differ. Treat these 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 an onward Tube to the right hospital. A direct Heathrow airport transfer by car removes the changes entirely — a real advantage when you're unwell, carrying luggage, or unsure which station serves your unit — and the driver meets you in arrivals after baggage reclaim.

From the other airports

From Gatwick (close to King's at Denmark Hill in the south), Luton and Stansted, the rail options involve a train into a London terminus and an onward leg to the right site. For a patient or a visiting family, one car booked to the exact unit is usually the gentler option.

With units spread across the city, knowing the exact address is the whole game.

05 / ARRIVINGArriving for an appointment or admission

On the day of an appointment, a scan or an admission, arriving calm, on time and at the correct hospital is part of being ready. A pre-booked private hire transfer handles it neatly: a comfortable car to the exact site and entrance, a driver who knows central London's hospitals, 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 the Tube 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 or late in the evening, and reaching an unfamiliar hospital across town by Tube can be daunting. A pre-booked car means several family members arrive together at the right entrance, and older relatives are spared the changes. With a fixed fare and round-the-clock dispatch, a late visit costs the same as a midday one.

07 / NEARBYWhat's around the units

Most of these hospitals sit in well-served parts of London, with cafés, pharmacies and accommodation close by:

• UCLH / Euston — Regent's Park and the British Library nearby; plentiful Bloomsbury hotels.
• Guy's & St Thomas' — the South Bank, Borough Market and riverside walks within reach.
• Imperial / Paddington — Hyde Park, Paddington station and many hotels close to St Mary's and the Lindo Wing.
• King's / Denmark Hill — Ruskin Park and Camberwell's cafés nearby.

08 / FAQFrequently asked questions