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The Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro (Treliske) is the biggest hospital in Cornwall providing emergency and specialist healthcare. The Emergency Department is based at the Royal Cornwall Hospital alongside critical care facilities, high-tech operating theatres, maternity services, cancer care, pain clinics and a wide range of outpatient services from eyes, ears and skin to specialist therapies. Additionally, there are excellent education and training facilities at Royal Cornwall Hospital.
The majority of clinical services are provided in three main ‘wings’ or areas at the Royal Cornwall Hospital:
- Trelawny Wing which includes the Emergency Department, critical care unit and operating theatres,
- Tower Block which includes the children’s ward, more operating theatres, a female surgical ward, specialist medical wards and nuclear medicine department,
- Princess Alexandra Wing which includes maternity services, therapy department, gynaecology care, dermatology services and a renal unit.
Please remember, all of our hospital sites are smoke-free. This includes outside and in the car parks.
Site access and parking restrictions
When arriving at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, please be aware that there some current, and upcoming constraints around parking and access due to construction works.
Tower Block, Princess Alexandra Wing and Eye Unit
There is no direct access to the Tower Block via the Main Tower Entrance at this time. Parking in this area is reserved for patient transport services.
Alternative routes are via the Link Corridor Entrance, and via the Eye Unit Entrance behind the Tower Block and to the east of the Emergency Department. (The Eye Unit entrance is well signposted as you approach the construction site in a vehicle.)
There are additional short stay parking spaces, and the drop-off zones along the short approach to the Eye Unit Entrance.
There are eight accessible parking bays outside the front of the Princess Alexandra Wing. There are also a further six accessible parking bays in the small car park next to the Emergency Department, although at certain times – when ambulances are being held – these may be restricted temporarily.
Link Corridor
There is a temporary mobile scanner located on the north side of the Link Corridor entrance across the accessible parking bays. Alternative accessible parking for the Link Corridor entrance is located either on the south side of the Link Corridor in the area adjacent to the Emergency Department, or a few metres away from the north entrance to the Link Corridor, outside the Sunrise Centre.
Trelawny Wing and Dolphin House
Now that the new MRI and Oncology Unit has being constructed, parking bays and the drop-off zone outside the Trelawny entrance and Microbiology have been re-instated. The nearest accessible parking bays can be found in the main Trelawny car park (Car Park 1) opposite the Trelawny Main Entrance.
Access to the car park next to Dolphin House has also been reinstated, including two accessible parking bays. Please note that a new mobile scanner will soon be located next to Dolphin House. This will not impede on car parking spaces, but it will increase demand. Should you not be able to park at Dolphin House, the nearest alternative is Car Park 3 (on the corner opposite the Microbiology Building).
Mermaid Centre
The Mermaid Centre project is now complete. The car park is to be relined to provide 5 fully compliant accessible parking bays and a drop-off zone. If these are full alternative parking, is available in Car Park 3, across the road from the Microbiology Building, or around the corner outside the Sunrise Centre.
Tenvennick Unit
There are two non-compliant accessible parking bays which have been allocated outside the Tenvennick MRI Unit. There are no immediate alternatives if these are occupied. Our recommendation would be to try to park in accessible parking areas outside ED and enter the hospital via the Link Corridor, or park in accessible bays in Car Park 1 at the front of Trelawny where wheelchairs can be borrowed.
Upcoming works – 2024 and beyond
In the late spring of 2024, work begins on creating a new Pathology Building, next to the existing Microbiology building. This will mean that much of Car Park 1, including accessible parking, will be lost. Some of the car park will be reinstated in 2026, once the build is complete. It also means that road access into and out of the hospital will change.
Work is ongoing to ensure that accessible parking is relocated and suitably served so that those with mobility issues and concerns can maintain good access to the hospital. Bus routes are also being reviewed.
From 2026, the Link Corridor will be demolished ahead of the construction of the Women and Children’s Hospital. At this time, parking, drop-off and road access to the Link Corridor and the Eye Unit will no longer be possible. Plans are being drawn up to provide alternative solutions.
The long-term master plan for the Royal Cornwall Hospital is to locate the Main Entrance in the new Women and Children’s Hospital. The plan is to use space freed up by the future demolition of the Princess Alexandra Wing for a multi-storey patient and visitor car park incorporating accessible parking spaces and a green travel hub.
Latest visiting information
Updating your personal information
Before coming to hospital as a patient, please update the information we hold about you via this link – https://forms.office.com/r/YJD9z62gLX, or using the QR code below. We will ensure your information is processed in line with UK Data Protection laws.
Contact details
- Telephone: 01872 250000
- Address: Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske, Truro, TR1 3LJ
Get directions to the hospital
Car parking and public transport
Parking at the Royal Cornwall Hospital
The main visitor car parks are within the hospital grounds. They can be busy, so please allow some time before your appointment to park. If someone is driving you to hospital, you may find it easier to get them to drop you off before parking their car.
The main car parks use automated number plate recognition on entry and exit and are ‘pay on foot’. You will need to put your registration number into the payment machine to pay for your parking before you leave. The system is ticketless. Once you have paid, the number plate recognition system will raise the barrier for you to exit the car park.
Car parking charges for the Royal Cornwall Hospital:
- Up to 2 hours: £3.00
- Up to 4 hours: £6.00
- Up to 6 hours: £9.00
- Up to 24 hours: £15.00
Free parking applies to blue badge holders, frequent attenders and parents of sick children staying overnight.
Blue badge holders
Patients and visitors with a blue badge will be able to obtain a ‘one-time reduction’ pass from the General Office during opening hours (9am to 4.15pm, Monday to Friday). Outside these hours the blue badge can be presented to the Saba lodge in the main visitor car park to obtain a free exit ticket.
Frequent attenders
People who frequently attend outpatient appointments (at least 3 times a month for at least 3 months) will be able to obtain a ‘one time reduction’ pass, in the same way as described above, at each visit, following confirmation by the clinic/department being visited. This is in addition to the free parking currently offered by the patient departmental permit scheme.
Parents of sick children
Parents or guardians of sick children who are staying overnight will be able to obtain a ‘one-time reduction’ pass following confirmation by the ward. Free parking will apply between 7.30pm and 8am and can be for a maximum of two vehicles. The pass can be obtained from the General Office (or Saba lodge out of opening hours) and is in addition to the patient departmental permit scheme.
Where confirmation is needed for a ‘one time reduction’ pass, a member of the ward or department team will need to call the General Office or Saba lodge to give verbal authorisation in advance of the patient or visitor making the request.
Concessionary tickets for long-term patients and visitors
- 5-day tickets: £18.90
- 7-day tickets: £26.92
- Monthly tickets: £43.13
(If you need to buy a concessionary long-term ticket, you’ll need to ask the ward or department you are visiting for a form.)
There are also a few ‘pay and display’ spaces near to the entrance to the Tower Block building. If you use one of these don’t forget to make a note of what time your ticket expires.
We also have free pick-up and drop-off spaces close to the entrances at all of our hospital buildings, but don’t forget to check signs for time limits and, of course, only use a disabled space if you’re displaying a Blue Badge.
There are also a few designated permit spaces for patients who need to attend hospital for long-term treatment. These spaces are free and next the department you will be visiting. If these spaces are available, we’ll let you know when you receive details of your appointments.
Saba UK manage car parking on behalf of the Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust.
Other parking options
Park and Ride Truro:
- Langarth TR4 9AN
- Tregurra TR1 1RH
Cornwall Council runs a Park and Ride service – ‘Park for Truro’ – at both Langarth (near Threemilestone) and Tregurra (near Waitrose). All Park and Ride buses come through and stop at the hospital site. It’s open from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. The service is quick and efficient running every ten minutes during peak times. For more information, including timetables and costs, visit the Park for Truro website, alternatively you may call them directly on 01872 279270.
Public transport
Many bus routes stop at the Royal Cornwall Hospital and there are frequent connections from Truro train station. For public transport information, you can call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33.
Help with transport
If you need help to get to the hospital, there are several community transport schemes that could help. If you receive Income Support or other benefits, you might also be able to reclaim your travel and parking expenses; visit our ‘Practical help and advice‘ page for more information.
Facilities at the Royal Cornwall Hospital
Facilities for disabled people
For information about disabled parking, on-site wheelchairs, interpreters, adult changing rooms, and other considerations, please view our ‘Practical help and advice‘ page.
Pharmacies
The Royal Cornwall Hospital has two pharmacies. The general pharmacy department is in the Tower Block, near Mullions Restaurant. There’s also a Lloyds pharmacy in the Link Centre, next to the Trelawny Wing; it dispenses for the emergency department and outpatients. This leaves the general pharmacy to concentrate on inpatients, specialist medicines and medicines for patients going home. Neither pharmacy dispenses FP10 prescriptions written by GPs. Patients can pick up their medicines from Lloyds in the same way as in a high street pharmacy. The usual exemptions will apply to payments, and staff can advise on the national pre-payment schemes for patients receiving regular prescriptions.
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday (5 days) 8.40am to 6pm
Saturday and Sunday including Bank Holiday (2 days) 8.30am to 5pm
Lloyds Pharmacy Opening Hours
Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm
Saturday 9am to 1pm
General Office
The General Office provides a front-line cash service and a point of contact for patients who are eligible to claim travel expenses for hospital appointments.
What we do at the General Office:
- Help patients that qualify for travel reimbursements. We can advise whether patients are in receipt of the relevant benefits and provide advice on the methods of transport that can be reimbursed in full.
- Receive payments for invoices and donations to any of the hospital’s wards or departments.
- Accept donations to the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust Charitable Fund
- We encourage patients to leave valuable items and large sums of cash at home, but if this isn’t possible, we can keep patient’s cash and valuables safe and secure.
- Receive lost property items (we’ll keep them for three months)
- Provide travel information on how to get to your hospital appointment
- Provide information and leaflets in alternative formats, such as large print, braille, audio format, or in another language. See our Accessible Information Standard page for more information.
Opening Hours
9.00am to 4.15pm, Monday to Friday
Location
1st floor of the Trelawny wing at the Royal Cornwall Hospital (just past the main Trelawny reception on the left)
Phone
Laptops, mobile phones and other electronic devices
You can use these in the hospitals, however they can be disruptive for other patients on the wards so we ask that you are respectful, use headphones if possible and switch them off if a member of staff asks you to.
They can sometimes interfere with medical equipment, so if you are asked to switch them off by one of our staff, please do so straight away.
Free Wi-Fi Access
There is free Wi-Fi available in all of our hospitals, including the wards, coffee shops and restaurants.
The Wi-Fi network is called NHS Wi-Fi.
This is an open network and you don’t need a password. To get access, connect to the network in the usual way and a short registration form should pop up automatically. Your device will then stay connected for 24 hours, after which you’ll need to reconnect by filling out the form again.
If your device can’t find the NHS Wi-Fi network, it means we haven’t got access in that part of the hospital yet.
Dining rooms, cafés and shops
Our dining rooms, cafés and shops are open to visitors, patients and staff, and their opening hours are listed below, although it might be worth double-checking with staff. (You should also ask for advice from a doctor or nurse if you’re on a special diet and thinking of using the dining room.)
Ingredients Restaurant, Tower Block
8am to 4pm Monday to Friday
Serving a full range of hot and cold foods including breakfasts, snacks, main meals and drinks.
Ingredients Coffee lounge
8am to 6pm Monday to Friday
Serving coffee, cakes and snacks. Wi-Fi is available here.
Cornwall Food Café, Trelawny Wing entrance
8am to 6pm Monday to Friday
8am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday.
Serving a wide range of snacks and drinks.
League of Friends Coffee Bar, Tower Block entrance
9am to 4pm all week.
Serving a range of snacks and drinks.
League of Friends Refreshment Bar, Mermaid Centre
Open during clinic hours, Tuesday to Friday. Serving a range of snacks and drinks.
WH Smiths, Trelawny Wing entrance
8am to 8pm daily
Newsagent, confectionery, snacks, cards, gifts and flowers. A trolley service also visits the wards each day.
Vending machines
- Emergency Department, main entrance foyer
- Maternity, ground floor
- Renal Unit, ground floor: Beverage unit
- Tower Reception, ground floor: varied choice of items, hot drinks and sandwiches
- Trelawny, 1st floor (Entrance Corridor): snacks and hot drinks
- Trelawny, Ground Floor (by Lloyds Pharmacy): snack machine
ATM / Cash Machine
There is a cash machine located in the main entrance to Trelawny wing. It does not charge for withdrawals.
Post Box
There is a Royal Mail post box located in the main entrance to Trelawny wing. You can buy stamps at WH Smiths.
Page last reviewed: 9 November 2023
