North West · LA1 4RP
Royal Lancaster Infirmary
Royal Lancaster Infirmary is a general hospital in Lancaster with a full 24-hour A&E department, a critical care unit and same day emergency care. It has a maternity ward and central delivery suite, a children's ward and a neonatal unit, an oncology unit, and planned care including outpatients, diagnostics and surgery.
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 Lancaster Infirmary phone numbers
Main switchboard01524 65944- Appointments enquiriesTrust-wide01539 716998
- A&E01524 583002
- Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC)01524 516243
- Central Delivery SuiteAlso 01524 583850 / 01524 58388001524 583852
- Maternity unit01524 583863
- X-ray appointments01524 511911
- PALS (patient advice and liaison)Answerphone: leave your name and number and the team will call back01539 715577
PALS email: Patient.Relations@mbht.nhs.uk
In an emergency call 999. For urgent medical advice call NHS 111.
Where is Royal Lancaster Infirmary?
Ashton Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 4RP
Directions in Google MapsNearest NHS hospitals
Visiting times at Royal Lancaster Infirmary
Adult wards
Up to 2 visitorsVaries by ward: most medical and surgical wards 2pm–4pm and 7pm–8pm, some 2pm–8pm; maximum 2 visitors per patient
Maternity
Ward 17: partners and siblings 9am–9pm; other visitors 2pm–4pm and 6pm–8pm (with the parents' permission)
Children's wards
Ward 32: open visiting for parents; other visitors 1pm–7pm (with the parents' permission)
Intensive care
(Ward 38): 2pm–4pm and 6.30pm–7.30pm
Neonatal unit: parents and siblings any time; others 12.30pm–2.30pm and 6pm–7pm with parents present. Surgical wards 35–37 at staff discretion after theatre. No plants or flowers; children must be supervised.
Parking at Royal Lancaster Infirmary
Limited patient and visitor parking on Ashton Road, in front of Medical Unit 2 and at Ashton Community Centre, with ANPR cameras: enter your registration at a pay machine before leaving (notes, coins, cards, contactless). 30-minute drop-off spaces in front of entrances. Park & Ride on Caton Road (M6 junction 34).
- up to 1 hour£2.00
- up to 2 hours£3.00
- up to 4 hours£4.50
- up to 8 hours£9.00
- up to 24 hours£12.00
- weekly permit (from the General Office)£12.50
Free or reduced parking: Free for Blue Badge holders (display the badge or scan it at a pay machine before leaving).
Getting there
- By busSeveral regular bus routes serve the hospital (route numbers not listed; timetables on the Lancashire County Council site). Park & Ride from Caton Road at M6 junction 34.
- By trainLancaster station, about 1.5 miles away
Shops, food and facilities
- Restaurant (Centenary Building, lower ground floor, 7 days)
- 2go Café with Costa Coffee (Centenary Building entrance, Mon–Fri 8am–5.30pm)
- Royal Voluntary Service shop and tea bar (near main outpatients, Mon–Fri 8.30am–4pm)
- Lloyds Pharmacy
- Free NHS Wi-Fi
- General Office (Medical Unit 1, Mon–Fri 8.30am–4.30pm)
How University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust performs
NHS England publishes waiting times for University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust as a whole, covering Royal Lancaster Infirmary and the trust’s other hospitals.
Waiting-list data: July 2026Published by NHS England on · next release expected 8 October 2026 · sources
NHSQueue score: 5.7 out of 10
Better than mostUniversity Hospitals of Morecambe Bay ranks 48 of 126 NHS hospital trusts in England on the latest official figures.
- Waiting list (share within 18 weeks)better than 73% of trusts
- A&E (seen within 4 hours)better than 50% of trusts
- Diagnostic tests (waiting under 6 weeks)better than 72% of trusts
- Cancer (28-day and 62-day standards)better than 43% of trusts
- CQC inspection ratingbetter than 25% 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
10.5 weeksD wait grade
median wait · 68.6% under 18 weeks · 36,259 waiting
+633 waiting vs June 2026
Waiting times by specialty
A&E
72.7%
seen within 4 hours in August 2026 · 14,370 attendances
England: 75.0%
A&E waiting times
Diagnostic tests (MRI, CT, endoscopy…)
10.4%
waiting 6+ weeks · 10,111 waiting for a test
July 2026 · standard: under 1%
Test waits
Cancer: diagnosed within 28 days
78.4%
72.4% treated within 62 days
July 2026 · standard 75%
Cancer waiting times
Other hospitals run by University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay
- Furness General HospitalA&E open 24 hours · Dalton Lane, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 4LF
- Westmorland General HospitalUrgent treatment centre · Burton Road, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 7RG
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust: all hospitals and contact details →
Royal Lancaster Infirmary: common questions
What is the phone number for Royal Lancaster Infirmary?
The main number for Royal Lancaster Infirmary is 01524 65944. Other useful numbers: appointments enquiries 01539 716998; a&e 01524 583002; same day emergency care (sdec) 01524 516243. For help with a complaint or concern, PALS is on 01539 715577.
What are the visiting times at Royal Lancaster Infirmary?
Adult wards: Varies by ward: most medical and surgical wards 2pm–4pm and 7pm–8pm, some 2pm–8pm; maximum 2 visitors per patient. Maternity: Ward 17: partners and siblings 9am–9pm; other visitors 2pm–4pm and 6pm–8pm (with the parents' permission). Children's wards: Ward 32: open visiting for parents; other visitors 1pm–7pm (with the parents' permission). Check with the ward before you travel, as times can change.
How much is parking at Royal Lancaster Infirmary?
Limited patient and visitor parking on Ashton Road, in front of Medical Unit 2 and at Ashton Community Centre, with ANPR cameras: enter your registration at a pay machine before leaving (notes, coins, cards, contactless). 30-minute drop-off spaces in front of entrances. Park & Ride on Caton Road (M6 junction 34). Charges: up to 1 hour: £2.00, up to 2 hours: £3.00, up to 4 hours: £4.50, up to 8 hours: £9.00. Free for Blue Badge holders (display the badge or scan it at a pay machine before leaving).
Where is Royal Lancaster Infirmary?
Royal Lancaster Infirmary is at Ashton Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 4RP. It is run by University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. By bus: Several regular bus routes serve the hospital (route numbers not listed; timetables on the Lancashire County Council site). Park & Ride from Caton Road at M6 junction 34.
Does Royal Lancaster Infirmary have an A&E?
Yes. Royal Lancaster Infirmary has an emergency department (24 hours, 7 days). Across University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, 72.7% of 14,370 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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