South West · BH7 7DW
Royal Bournemouth Hospital
Royal Bournemouth Hospital is an acute hospital in Bournemouth with a 24-hour Emergency Department in the new BEACH Building and an Urgent Treatment Centre (8am–midnight). The trust's maternity, neonatal, early pregnancy and emergency gynaecology units have moved here, and it also has an Eye Unit, a stroke unit and a coronary care unit; it is set to become the major emergency hospital for east Dorset.
Contact details, visiting and parking from the hospital’s official website, checked on 26 September 2026. Please check with the hospital before you travel.
Royal Bournemouth Hospital phone numbers
Main switchboard01202 303626- Emergency Department0300 019 4169
- Maternity Advice LineOption 1 clinical advice 24/7; option 2 clerical queries 8am–4pm0300 369 0388
- Eye Unit (eye emergencies)Phone advice from an ophthalmic nurse before attending0300 019 4181
- PALS (patient advice and liaison)0300 019 8499
PALS email: PatientExperienceTeam@UHD.nhs.uk
In an emergency call 999. For urgent medical advice call NHS 111.
Where is Royal Bournemouth Hospital?
Castle Lane East, Bournemouth, BH7 7DW
Directions in Google MapsNearest NHS hospitals
Visiting times at Royal Bournemouth Hospital
Adult wards
Suggested core visiting hours 10am–8pm (some specialist areas already have open visiting)
Maternity
One support partner can stay on site at all times; up to 2 birth partners; antenatal and postnatal wards 10am–8pm core hours (the baby's siblings welcome, other children not allowed); neonatal unit open to parents and siblings, other visitors 2.30pm–6pm
Many wards have protected mealtimes (often 12–1pm and 5–6pm; times vary by ward) when visiting is only for helping a patient eat. Talk to the person in charge before bringing children under 12. The Coronary Care Unit has open visiting. Visits outside core hours can be agreed with the nurse in charge.
Parking at Royal Bournemouth Hospital
Car parks have been relocated during the BEACH Building and main entrance works. Visitors park at the rear of car park P3 (by the Eye Unit and Derwent Centre), which uses ticketless number plate recognition: pay at the pay station (card or cash) before returning to your car. Drop-off areas at the Emergency Department and west wing main entrance are limited to 20 minutes. Parking for women in labour or needing urgent maternity care is directly outside the BEACH Building.
- less than 20 minutesFree
- up to 2 hours£2.80
- up to 3 hours£3.80
- up to 4 hours£5.10
- up to 6 hours£7.20
- up to 24 hours£12.80
- overnight (6pm–7am)£3.20
Free or reduced parking: Blue Badge holders park free (car parks P1 and P2 are for Blue Badge holders; in ANPR car parks scan the badge barcode at the pay station). Free with a signed concession form for frequent outpatient attenders (3+ times a month for 3+ months), a parent or guardian of a child staying overnight (7.30pm–8am) and close family of patients at the end of life. Motorcycles park free in designated spaces.
Getting there
- By busServed by More Bus (morebus.co.uk, 01202 673555).
- By trainNearest stations are Pokesdown and Christchurch; Bournemouth Central has more frequent trains, with buses and taxis to the hospital.
Shops, food and facilities
- Costa Coffee, open 24/7 (BEACH Building main entrance)
- Co-op convenience store (BEACH Building)
- Stock Shop
- Boots pharmacy (hospital prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines)
- Atrium Café
- Café West (West Entrance)
- Chapel
How University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust performs
NHS England publishes waiting times for University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust as a whole, covering Royal Bournemouth Hospital and the trust’s other hospitals.
Waiting-list data: July 2026Published by NHS England on · next release expected 8 October 2026 · sources
NHSQueue score: 4.6 out of 10
Around averageUniversity Hospitals Dorset ranks 73 of 126 NHS hospital trusts in England on the latest official figures.
- Waiting list (share within 18 weeks)better than 60% of trusts
- A&E (seen within 4 hours)better than 34% of trusts
- Diagnostic tests (waiting under 6 weeks)better than 59% of trusts
- Cancer (28-day and 62-day standards)better than 16% of trusts
Each measure is compared with every other NHS hospital trust, then combined: waiting list 35%, A&E 20%, tests 15%, cancer 15%, CQC 15%. How the score works
Waiting list for planned treatment
12.1 weeksD wait grade
median wait · 66.8% under 18 weeks · 67,365 waiting
−13 waiting vs June 2026
Waiting times by specialty
A&E
70.9%
seen within 4 hours in August 2026 · 20,748 attendances
England: 75.0%
A&E waiting times
Diagnostic tests (MRI, CT, endoscopy…)
15.0%
waiting 6+ weeks · 12,972 waiting for a test
July 2026 · standard: under 1%
Test waits
Cancer: diagnosed within 28 days
75.3%
64.6% treated within 62 days
July 2026 · standard 75%
Cancer waiting times
Other hospitals run by University Hospitals Dorset
- Poole HospitalA&E open 24 hours · Longfleet Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 2JB
- Christchurch HospitalFairmile Road, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 2JX
University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust: all hospitals and contact details →
Royal Bournemouth Hospital: common questions
What is the phone number for Royal Bournemouth Hospital?
The main number for Royal Bournemouth Hospital is 01202 303626. Other useful numbers: emergency department 0300 019 4169; maternity advice line 0300 369 0388; eye unit (eye emergencies) 0300 019 4181. For help with a complaint or concern, PALS is on 0300 019 8499.
What are the visiting times at Royal Bournemouth Hospital?
Adult wards: Suggested core visiting hours 10am–8pm (some specialist areas already have open visiting). Maternity: One support partner can stay on site at all times; up to 2 birth partners; antenatal and postnatal wards 10am–8pm core hours (the baby's siblings welcome, other children not allowed); neonatal unit open to parents and siblings, other visitors 2.30pm–6pm. Check with the ward before you travel, as times can change.
How much is parking at Royal Bournemouth Hospital?
Car parks have been relocated during the BEACH Building and main entrance works. Visitors park at the rear of car park P3 (by the Eye Unit and Derwent Centre), which uses ticketless number plate recognition: pay at the pay station (card or cash) before returning to your car. Drop-off areas at the Emergency Department and west wing main entrance are limited to 20 minutes. Parking for women in labour or needing urgent maternity care is directly outside the BEACH Building. Charges: less than 20 minutes: Free, up to 2 hours: £2.80, up to 3 hours: £3.80, up to 4 hours: £5.10. Blue Badge holders park free (car parks P1 and P2 are for Blue Badge holders; in ANPR car parks scan the badge barcode at the pay station). Free with a signed concession form for frequent outpatient attenders (3+ times a month for 3+ months), a parent or guardian of a child staying overnight (7.30pm–8am) and close family of patients at the end of life. Motorcycles park free in designated spaces.
Where is Royal Bournemouth Hospital?
Royal Bournemouth Hospital is at Castle Lane East, Bournemouth, BH7 7DW. It is run by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust. By bus: Served by More Bus (morebus.co.uk, 01202 673555).
Does Royal Bournemouth Hospital have an A&E?
Yes. Royal Bournemouth Hospital has an emergency department (24 hours, 7 days). Across University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, 70.9% of 20,748 A&E attendances ended within 4 hours in August 2026.
Sources: NHS England statistics on referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times (July 2026), A&E attendances (August 2026), diagnostic waiting times (DM01) and cancer waiting times, published 10 September 2026; hospital sites from the nhs.uk organisation data. Figures are checked against the official national totals before every update.
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