We hope that the following information will help you, your
family and friends during your stay at our hospital.
Where to eat
There are a number of cafes and restaurants across all the BRI
hospital buildings. In addition, the hospital
is located within a couple of minutes walking distance of
the city centre of Bristol, which has a wide range of eating
facilities and options.
WRVS shops
There is a WRVS shop selling sandwiches, snacks, hot and cold
drinks, newspapers, magazines, together with a small supply of
toiletries and gifts in the Queens Building and a smaller coffee
shop in the King Edward Buliding.
Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs can be accessed from the main entrance of the Queens
Building.
Hairdresser
A hairdresser visits the Bristol Royal Infirmary 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 at the hospital.
Taxis
A free phone taxi line is available 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 can provide you with details of where the most convenient
external post box is located.
Bedside services
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.
Cashiers office
You can find the cashiers office on Level 2 of the Queens
Building. They are open Monday to Thursday 9am until 4.25pm and on
Fridays from 9am until 4.10pm.
One of the main duties of our cashiers office is pay for
patients who are in receipt of certain benefits to travel to
hospital. You can find further information about whether you can
claim your travel costs at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance
Banking/cashpoints
Unfortunately the hospital does not offer banking facilities. A
cashpoint machine is however located on Level 2 of the Queens
Building. External cashpoint 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 10 am on the next
working day to arrange an appointment.
Travelling expenses - patients who are in receipt
of benefit
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 3 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 3 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.
Childcare arrangements
Please note that we do not have child care or creche facilities
at the BRI. We do however work closely with single parents to
ensure that where services are planned that we do this around the
families needs. For emergencies where single parents have no
family support, social services are contacted to ensure that
children involved are adequately cared for.
