Royal Cornwall Hospital

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:

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.

Eye Unit, Tower Block, and Princess Alexandra Wing

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 Tower area in a vehicle.)

There are additional short stay parking spaces, and 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.

The construction site compound within this parking area is being moved in January/February 2024 to provide further accessible parking options close to the Emergency Department.

Link Corridor

There is often 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 in two areas:

  • on the south side of the Link Corridor in the area adjacent to the Emergency Department
  • 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 mobile scanner is now located next to Dolphin House taking up a handful of car parking spaces. This is a temporary measure whilst some construction work is being done outside the Link Corridor.  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. In March 2024, the car park is to be relined to provide 5 fully compliant accessible parking bays and a drop-off zone. The car park will be closed for a few weeks while this work is carried out. If you need to find alternative parking, please use Car Park 3, across the road from the Microbiology Building, or try 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

This year, work begins on creating a new Pathology Building, next to the existing Microbiology building.  Enabling works for this will mean that much of Car Park 1A, 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.

Accessible parking spaces lost in Car Park 1A are being re-provided in Car Park 1C and will be suitably served so that those with mobility issues and concerns can maintain good access to the hospital.  Bus routes are also being reviewed.

Accessible Parking Hub – Car Park 1C

Work will start in February 2024 and complete by the end of March 2024 to create 50 new, fully compliant accessible car parking spaces in Car Park 1C. This is the car park diagonally opposite the Microbiology building. A fully accessible bus shelter is also planned as part of the works.

From 2026

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 the space that is created 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

Please help ensure that the information we hold about you is up-to-date 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.

QR code for a form to update your personal information

Contact details

  • Telephone: 01872 250000
  • Address: Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske, Truro, TR1 3LJ

Get directions to the hospital

This will take you to directions in Google Maps in a separate tab.

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

01872 252690

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

Alert: Visiting restrictions are in place due to Norovirus

See our news article for more information.

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