We hope that the following information will help you, your
family and friends during your stay at our hospitals.
Where to eat
There are a number of cafes and restaurants which are available
across all UH Bristol hospitals. Further information can be found
on the where to eat and drink
page or on individual hospital websites. In
addition, most of our hospitals are located within a couple of
minutes walking distance to the city centre of Bristol, which has a
wide range of eating facilities and options.
Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS)
shops
Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) shops selling
sandwiches, snacks, hot and cold drinks, newspapers, magazines,
together with a small supply of toiletries and gifts are available
across the hospital sites.
Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs can be accessed from the main entrances of each
hospital site.
Hairdresser
A hairdresser visits the Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol Royal
Hospital for Children and Bristol Haematology & Oncology Centre
on a Thursday afternoon. For more information and to arrange an
appointment, please call our Voluntary Services office on
0117 342 1530.
Public telephones
Public telephones are available in each of our hospital sites.
Further information can be found on the individual hospital websites.
Taxis
A free phone taxi line is available in most of our hospitals
for your convenience. Taxi ranks can also be found close to the
Bristol Eye Hospital at the bottom of Lower Maudlin Street and by
the Bus Station.
Post boxes
Staff at our hospital sites can provide you with
details of where the most convenient external post box is
located.
Bedside services
At the majority of our hospital sites each bed space has its own
television and phone. These services are provided by an external
company called Premier Bedside.
The phone number for your bed space will be given to you upon
arrival. In order to use the television or make outgoing calls, a
top-up card will be needed. These can be bought from one of the
top-up stations on each hospital floor.
Unfortunately these services are not available for patients at
Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, but staff can provide
information for you about similar services which are available for
patients. Please see individual hospital websites for more
details.
Cashiers office
You can find the cashiers office on level 2 of the Queen's
Building at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. They are open Monday to
Fridays 8.45am until 4.15pm and closed betwwen 1pm and 2pm.
One of the main duties of our cashiers office is pay for
patients who are in receipt of certain benefits to travel to
hospital. Find further information about whether you can
claim your travel costs on here.
The cashiers office covers all of the UH Bristol Hospitals,
other than the Homeopathic Hospital where patients can use an HC5
form so expenses can be claimed by post.
Banking/cash points
Unfortunately the hospital does not offer banking facilities. A
cash point machine is however located on Level 2 of the Queen's
Building at Bristol Royal Infirmary. External cash point machines
are also available close to our hospital sites. Please ask staff
for further information.
Public toilets
Public toilets are available at each hospital site. Our staff will be happy
to provide further details for you.
Baby changing and feeding
Baby changing and feeding facilities are available at each hospital site.
Our staff will be happy to provide further details for you.
Bereavement services/patient affairs
Our bereavement/patient affairs office can be found on level 2
in the Old Building, BRI. Their role is:
- To arrange for the completion of the medical certificate (which
must be collected from Patient affairs by the next of kin at an
agreed time).
- To be responsible for any personal effects and/or valuables to
be made available for collection by the next of kin.
- To provide help and advice to families regarding registering a
death, funeral arrangements and any other related issues (including
how to obtain financial help with funeral costs etc).
Please ring 0117 342 2289 / 2949 after 10am on the next
working day to arrange an appointment.
Travelling expenses - patients who are in receipt
of benefits
In order to claim travelling expenses from the hospital you must
be in receipt of one of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Working Families Tax Credit (with exemption certificate)
- Income Based Job Seekers Allowance
- Disabled Persons Tax Credit (with exemption certificate)
- Pension Credit (guaranteed income)
- A current HC2 or HC3 certificate
Payment will not be made unless proof of benefit is supplied.
This can be a letter from the DSS stating the benefit you are
currently receiving and dated within the last three months. In
the case of Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Persons Tax
Credit the Exemption Certificate and Card must be produced.
If you are wishing to claim for bus, train or coach a valid
ticket must be shown to the cashier. The current mileage allowance
is 13 pence per mile. The hospital does not reimburse taxi fares.
If the patient is a child, the hospital will only reimburse for the
patient and one adult escort.
PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT PAY FOR VISITING
COSTS
If the office is closed, you have three months in which to
make a claim. You can also claim by post using form HC5 that can be
obtained from the carousel next to the cashier's office or from
your local DSS, Job Centre. Please include any bus, train or coach
tickets, appointment cards or appointment letter with form HC5.
