ROYAL BERKSHIRE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

LONDON ROAD
READING RG1 5AN
TELEPHONE NUMBER; MAIN SWITCHBOARD: 0118 322 5111
TELEPHONE NUMBER; PATIENT RELATIONS TEAM: 0118 322 8338

Visiting

Visiting times for wards and departments vary across the Trust. Some wards have restricted hours and protected mealtimes, whilst others have open visiting. For specific times, please check with the relevant ward.

Parking

Parking for patients and visitors at the Royal Berkshire Hospital is on levels 0, 1, 2 and 3 of the multi-storey car park in Craven Road.

From the multi-storey you can easily get to main reception on level 2 of the Main Entrance Block.

There are also a small number of parking spaces:

• outside North Block (the old entrance on London Road)
• on West Drive (off Redlands Road)
• outside Endoscopy on Craven Road

Access to the Berkshire Cancer Centre is good from the North Block car park, but it is more difficult for those with impaired mobility to get to other parts of the hospital from the North Block car park. Disabled patients should use the multi-storey car park.

Parking is free for disabled badge holders and there are designated parking spaces for disabled visitors on Levels 0 and 2 of the multi-storey; outside North Block, outside Endoscopy, near the South Block entrance (off Redlands Road) and in West Drive.

Disabled badge holders must not park on yellow lines anywhere on site. 

Wheelchairs may be found in the multi-storey car park or ask at Main Reception.

In all car parks there are pick up and drop off parking spaces (maximum stay 15 minutes).

(There is an electric buggy service operated by volunteers available to transport patients around inside the hospital between 9.30am and 12.00 noon and 1.30pm and 4.00pm Monday to Friday.)

Charges

There are barriers to the multi storey car park, so you will need to take a ticket to enter it.  Before you return to your vehicle (at the end of your stay) please pay the amount due at a pay station (these are located on levels 0 and 2). This will validate your ticket and allow you to exit the car park.

Parking charges are:

• Up to 1 hour £1.50
• Up to 2 hours £3.00
• Up to 3 hours £4.50
• Up to 4 hours £6.00
• Up to 6 hours £9.00

All day parking £12
Maximum stay is 24 hours.

Currently cash only is accepted in the pay machines. Income generated from car parking charges is used for the benefit of patient care.

Exemptions to normal parking charges

The following are eligible to be issued with a free parking permit on a ‘one per patient’ basis:

• partners of women in labour
• visitors (close relatives) to patients in ICU, Buscot Ward, Paediatric wards
• visitors to patients who are gravely ill
• patients attending for chemotherapy, radiotherapy and dialysis.
• if you are a carer providing care to a patient – please speak to one of the nurses or speak to the ward sister/manager or Patient Relations.

The following are eligible to be issued with a concessionary (reduced cost) parking permit on a ‘one per patient’ basis:

• outpatient or day-case patients who are not entitled to a free parking permit whose appointment or treatment is expected to exceed four hours
• regular visitors to long-stay or very ill patients ‑ to be authorised at the discretion of the ward sister.

The issued permit will allow free or concessionary parking of one motor vehicle in any Trust public on-site pay & display space for the period quoted on the permit. Maximum permit duration is as follows:

• concessionary permits one week
• free permits one month

When their permit expires, eligible applicants can reapply for another permit. The permit will specify the car registration number and is therefore not transferable to other vehicles.

Application form

To get free or concessionary parking, patients and visitors should complete an application form (these are available in the clinic or on the ward – please ask at the ward or clinic reception desk) and get it authorised by the ward sister or departmental manager.

All applicants should then present their authorised application form to Security at the reception desk, level 2 Main Entrance building at the Royal Berkshire Hospital site.

Refreshments

Level 1 Main Entrance, Craven Road

• AMT coffee cart
  Mon – Fri (6am-6.30pm)
  Sat (9am-6pm), Sun (9am-5pm)

Level 2 Main Entrance, Craven Road

• M&S Simply Food
  Mon – Fri (7am-8pm)
  Sat (8am – 8pm), Sun (10am-6pm)
• Pumpkin café
  Mon – Fri (7am-5.30pm)
  Sat (10am-5pm)
• Whistlestop Convenience stores
  Mon – Fri (7am-8pm)
  Sat & Sun (9am-4pm)

Level 2 Maternity Block

• League of Friends convenience store & café
  Mon – Fri (8am-5pm)
  Sat & Sun (10am-4pm)

Level 1 South Block

• The Eating Hub (Trust restaurant)
  Mon – Fri ( 7am-11am, 12noon-2pm, 4.30pm-7.30pm)
• Deli-ghts (Trust café)
  Mon – Fri (11am-4pm)

Level 2 South Block

• Jamaica Blue Coffee Shop
  Mon – Fri ( 6.30am-7pm)
  Sat (8.30am-5pm)
  Sun (8.30am-4pm)

Level 2 North Block

• Cancer Centre RVS Coffee Bar
  Mon – Thurs (9am-2.30pm)
  Fri (9am-2pm)

Level 2, Conservatory, Battle Block

• Friends Coffee House
  Mon – Fri (7.30am-6pm)
  Sat and Sun (11.30am-5pm)

There are also vending machines serving hot and cold drinks and snacks, located around the hospital site (A&E, near the Welcome Desk, Level 2 Battle Block and Level 2 Maternity Block).

Free Wi-Fi

Free WiFi access is available for patients and visitors. Connect using the RBFT_GUEST network.
All new users will need to log in before connecting for the first time.

Cash Machine

There are ATM cash dispenser machines on Level 2 opposite the main reception desk in the main entrance and near Outpatients 1 on Level 2 South Block.

Hospital Radio

HRR is staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers and is on-air 24 hours a day, including live programmes every weekday evening between 7 – 10pm, 10am – 10pm on Saturdays and 12.30pm – 10pm on Sundays.  At other times you can hear an automated service of music and useful information.

HRR’s record requests programmes are on-air every evening between 8.00 and 10.00pm as well as on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Volunteers aim to visit each ward twice a week to collect requests but you are welcome to call in on the free 24-hour request line by dialling *800 from the Hospedia phone at your bedside. Alternatively, your family and friends can call from outside on 0118 322 8508

Requests

If you’d like a request played for a patient, please email requests@hospitalradioreading.org.uk

or telephone the 24-hour Request Line on 0118 322 8508,

or text 60300 (each text costs 25p plus one message at your standard rate) giving the following information:

• the patient’s name
• the ward the patient is in
• the record or type of record you would like us to play, and the artist’s name
• the approximate time if you have a preference.