| Address | Contact Details |
Royal Bolton Hospital
Minerva Road,
Farnworth,
Bolton,
Lancashire ,
BL4 0JR | Telephone: 01204 390390 |
The Royal Bolton Hospital is part of a trust with an international reputation as a leader in healthcare improvement. Staff combine warmth and friendliness with expertise and professionalism, and the values of the Trust emphasise compassion and dignity for patients. The hospital has a wide range of services and is a centre of excellence for maternity and children’s services, with a new central delivery suite, special care, neonatal intensive care and children’s unit. It has a reputation as a good teaching and training organisation with an education centre, library and outstanding programme for staff learning and development. Conveniently situated just off the M61 the hospital is easily accessible.
The hospital received a CQC overall rating of Good in the report published on 10th August 2016.
How to find us
Directions
Bolton train station is on Trinity Street from where you can easily catch the 501 bus service to the hospital. The following bus services stop in the hospital grounds: 501, 512, 521, 695. With the exception of the 501, buses are hourly, from Monday to Saturday. The 501 is a Gold Service route which runs every ten minutes, Monday to Friday, between 7.00a.m. and 5.30p.m.
For further information and help on how to get to the hospital please see our Public Transport page and the road maps on the Locations A-Z page.
Parking
On most visitor car parks (Bridge, Chadwick and Mallet) there is a single charge of £3 for 24 hours. This has the advantage for visitors of not having to pay more than once if they return to the site on the same day, as long as they use the same vehicle as car registrations are printed on the ticket.
Short stay car parking charges are no charge for 30 minutes (but a ticket must be obtained from the pay and display machine) and £1 for 30 minutes to an hour.
Visitor car parks are clearly signposted and there are payment machines on each car park with simple instructions on how to pay and display a ticket inside your car windscreen.
Parking is free for blue badge holders in any car parking space, and there is free parking for cancer patients at the Churchill Unit.
There is a drop-off area outside the Accident and Emergency Department where visitors can stop for a maximum of 20 minutes to take a patient inside before using one of the car parks after this brief stop.
There is also a layby at the main entrance where visitors can pull in briefly to drop off or collect patients. Wheelchairs are available at the main entrance for patients to get to different departments. These are £1 coin operated, just like a supermarket trolley, and between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, customer care assistants are available to help patients and visitors get to departments and wards. Just ask about this at the main reception desk.
For those patients or visitors who need it, a longer monthly permit is available for £25 from the Cashier’s Office at the main entrance which is open Monday to Friday 9a.m. 12:30p.m. and 1:15p.m. – 4p.m. or can be contacted on 01204 390810 if you can’t get there during these times. After six months of this, a permit for free parking may be issued. When the Cashiers Department is closed, monthly car parking permits are also available from Main Reception, evenings, weekends and public holidays 9a.m. to 10p.m. Unfortunately only cash or cheques can be used in payment at Main Reception as there are no facilities for card payments.
The hospital car parks are well-lit, have CCTV monitoring them, and are regularly patrolled by the hospital’s own car park attendants. It’s their job to ensure that pathways and roads all around the hospital are kept free for traffic, buses and emergency vehicles.
They operate a warning system for parking misuse, followed by a breach of contract notice. But they are also there to help, by giving information and assisting everyone to park sensibly and safely.
Services at Royal Bolton Hospital
The Access Booking and Choice Department organises and books outpatient clinics and theatre sessions. The team oversees the booking of appointments and works closely with clinicians and department managers to ensure capacity meets demand.
The Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department at the Royal Bolton Hospital is one of the busiest in Greater Manchester and provides immediate diagnostic and therapeutic care for seriously ill and injured patients. Patients are cared for by our excellent team of medical and nursing staff.
Acute Medicine is the busiest department in the hospital. It looks after all medical patients admitted to hospital via their GP or through the Emergency Department (A&E). Experienced medical professionals see and assess the patients within an hour, decide on further investigations and urgent treatment, and make plans for the further care of patients whether that be at home, in an outpatient clinic or on a hospital ward.
The Anaesthetic Department provides a specialist service in support of surgery, urology, ophthalmology, paediatrics and maternity, caring for patients before, during and after surgery or other procedures. The highly experienced team comprises many specialists. Bolton Theatre Team won the 2011 Patient Safety Awards for Patient Safety in Surgery.
The Adult Audiology Department specialises in assessing, diagnosing and treating hearing and balance problems. We have excellent levels of patient satisfaction because of our high quality, patient centred care and we were one of the first three departments nationally to receive accreditation from UKAS. Our services are in locations across the Bolton area.
06.09.19 – Unfortunately the Breast Screening and Sunflower Suite teams based in the Breast Unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital are currently experiencing problems with their phone lines. Until the issue is fixed please email bsu.appointment@boltonft.nhs.uk. Apologies for any inconvenience.
The Breast Unit offers a wide range of high quality services for all patients with breast problems and is also the centre for the Bolton, Bury and Rochdale Breast Screening Programme. All care is patient-centred and is delivered within a supportive environment by a team of experts, who are all specialists within their own field.
The Trust cancer services cover a wide range of teams and departments. The aim is to ensure that patients are provided with the highest quality cancer care and that targets and standards are met in line with national priorities and timescales. We provide support, help and advice to the tumour specific teams and trustwide cancer groups, ensuring patients and carers are involved in the planning of all cancer services. The Living with and Beyond Cancer team also work to support people across Bolton who have been affected by cancer.
The Cardiology Department provides a comprehensive inpatient and outpatient service with cardiac investigations for adult patients. With a purpose built Coronary Care Unit and adjacent cardiac ward we can offer expertise to care for patients with a wide range of cardiac illness. We also boast the sector pacing suite which is utilised by Bolton, Wigan and Salford for pacing and cardiac procedures.
We offer fantastic facilities for children aged 0 to 16 years who are admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital, including modern wards, play areas and a number of individual rooms with en-suite shower rooms. Every bed has an accompanying portable bed, enabling a parent to stay with their child.
Critical Care at the Royal Bolton Hospital comprises an eight bed intensive care unit and a ten bed high dependency unit which care for seriously ill patients. Both units are staffed by critical care trained nurses and covered by doctors trained in intensive care medicine. Other specialists from across the Trust provide input where necessary. We care for almost 1,400 patients a year making Bolton the third busiest critical care unit in Greater Manchester.
The consultant-led integrated skin service (dermatology and minor skin surgery) provides specialist assessment and treatment for skin disorders. We aim to deliver an accessible and timely service within community health premises where possible. The service focuses not just on treating skin disorder but also on raising awareness and understanding of the importance of long term skin care and the prevention of skin disease, in particular skin cancer.
The Discharge Liaison Team assists ward staff and other teams of health professionals to plan the discharges of patients who have complex needs including continuing health care, end of life, complex district nursing and the management of long term conditions after they have left hospital. The team also assists ward staff by collecting and distributing district nurse referrals and providing information from outside of the hospital.
The Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department diagnoses and treats diseases of the ear, nose, throat and the head and neck area. The department is fully equipped with facilities to offer a safe and high quality service for both adults and children.
We provide treatment for older patients (although there is no lower age limit) across our five complex care wards as well as outpatients, and have close links with orthopaedic and surgical wards. We have specialist clinics for conditions such as falls and Parkinson’s disease and work closely with the members of the wider team such as physiotherapists to provide care for all aspects of the patients’ health and promote independence where possible.
Our Endoscopy Unit operates seven days a week providing routine and emergency, inpatient and outpatient endoscopy (investigative procedures using a scope). We provide a full diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy service and run telephone hotlines with specialist outpatient clinics. We were one of the first trusts in the country to participate in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Service for patients aged between 60 and 75 years, serving the population of Bolton, Salford and Ashton, Wigan and Leigh.
The Gastroenterology Department is a recognised world leader in the consultant-led delivery of complete care and treatment plans for all our patients, especially for those with alcohol-related disease and digestive disorders. We care for patients with indigestion, ulcers, abdominal pain, colitis, bowel disorders, liver, pancreas and nutritional disorders. Our care is responsive to the needs of patients and their families.
The General Outpatients Department provides assessment, diagnostic and treatment for adults. It operates over three sites: Minerva Day and the General Outpatient Clinic at the Royal Bolton Hospital and Bolton One. Our staff take pride in ensuring all patients receive the highest standard of care and strive for continuous improvement.
Our General Surgery Department has a high volume of emergency admissions, with short length of stay for surgical patients. The department provides a variety of complex upper gastrointestinal and colorectal surgeries including for some types of cancer, and a variety of laparoscopic (keyhole) surgeries, both planned and emergency cases. There is also a Vascular Department on site that deals with complex vascular (blood vessel) problems. The hospital provides surgery for children however newborn babies are referred to Central Manchester Children’s Hospital if they need surgery.
GP Direct is part of the Telephone Access and Call Centre at the Royal Bolton Hospital. It has two dedicated phone lines and is supported by members of the Telephone Access Centre. It enables GPs to liaise directly with clinical staff to admit patients to A&E or other areas within the organisation appropriately, while the GP is with the patient concerned. GP Direct books transport for patients and undertakes other relevant administrative tasks. In addition GP Direct staff are responsible for contacting patients who may be placed on standby before admission at weekends and in the evenings after the Booked Admissions Department closes at 7:30p.m.
We provide a full range of gynaecology services for planned and emergency assessment, diagnostics and treatment including surgery when needed. This is provided by an expert team including doctors, nurses, therapists, radiologists, pathologists and oncologists in our dedicated women’s healthcare outpatient unit or as an inpatient on our women only ward.
The Department of Clinical Haematology provides a diagnostic and treatment service for patients with blood disorders. These may include lymphoma, leukaemia or myeloma. The department also looks after people with a wide range of non-cancerous conditions. Services are provided by outpatient clinics, inpatient beds and day case procedures. The service is very accessible by both colleagues and patients.
The department stores hospital records on site and also manages secure offsite storage. The Health Records Department is responsible for providing patient case notes at inpatient or outpatient attendances.
The hospital sterilising and disinfection unit (HSDU) specialises in the cleaning, decontamination and sterilisation of surgical equipment. We have excellent relations with the wards and departments and provide a service of the highest quality.
Laboratory medicine underpins the diagnosis, monitoring and management of disease. Increasingly its role extends beyond the laboratory in screening and earlier detection of disease.
Medical Illustration is based at the Royal Bolton Hospital. We are not in the main hospital building but we are clearly marked on signposts throughout the hospital grounds. Where necessary our team of photographers will visit the wards or clinics if you have difficulties in walking. There is a car park just outside the department if you have access to a vehicle.
Our maternity service is a super centre of excellence, providing care for over 6000 women a year. We offer great facilities, pride ourselves on the individual care and attention each woman and family receives and we promote a philosophy of normal and natural labour and childbirth and midwives support women to achieve this. If you need more specialised or complex care, our medical team of 15 dedicated and experienced consultants will ensure you have the best birthing experience possible.
Our medical photographers produce high quality photographs of a patient’s condition for medical notes and sometimes as an aid to diagnosis and treatment. We also have a graphic designer and a medical artist who can produce teaching material such as research posters and medical drawings.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Bolton is one of three centres of excellence within Greater Manchester providing specialist care to sick and preterm infants. Our highly skilled professional team provides family centred care to ensure an excellent, positive family experience. The unit provides care for Bolton families as well as serving Greater Manchester and other areas when required.
To detect and treat hearing loss as soon as possible we offer screening to all babies born at the Royal Bolton Hospital. Babies who have a Bolton GP but were born at another hospital or at home, as well as those babies less than three months old who have moved into the Bolton area without having completed a hearing screen elsewhere, are offered an outpatient appointment at the Royal Bolton Hospital.
The Eye Unit (Ophthalmology) is a recognised centre of excellence offering patient centred care to the population of Bolton, Salford and surrounding areas. We specialise in assessing, diagnosing and treating all aspects of adult and children’s eye problems and we are widely regarded as one of the leading NHS ophthalmic departments in England.
The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery offers a complete service relating to conditions of the face, mouth and jaws, including a routine assessment and treatment service for common oral surgical conditions. The department provides a diagnostic and/or treatment service for conditions affecting oral medicine (ulcers and infections of the mouth), diagnosis and treatment of facial pain, diagnosis and treatment of jaw pain, and dentoalveolar surgery (difficult tooth extraction).
The Trauma and Orthopaedic Department provides a range of musculoskeletal services, from orthopaedic medicine to complex surgery. We have established a centre of excellence, with a group of 11 consultants providing a general trauma service and appropriate specialisation in key areas.
Orthoptists assess, diagnose and treat patients of any age where there is a problem with eye movements, such as lazy eye, squints, double vision and poor visual development. We run clinics at the Royal Bolton Hospital and children’s clinics in community locations in Bolton. We aim to vision screen all children in Bolton during their first year at school, in their school. We try to see all new patients as soon as possible and will take enquiries and offer advice over the phone. We pride ourselves in our approachability, the quality of care and after care that we provide to all of our patients.
Orthotists assess, measure and supply both ready-made and made-to-measure inner soles and braces following a consultant referral. These can range from protective helmets to upper/lower limb bracing and footwear. We offer a service to adults and children.
The Acute Pain Team provides support and advice in the management of acute (severe) pain for patients during their hospital stay. The team comprises one consultant anaesthetist and two specialist nurses who can be contacted by members of staff to review any patient experiencing any problems with acute pain. The aim of the team is to ensure that all patients receive high quality pain management care throughout their stay at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.
The chronic pain service is a specialist team including consultants in pain medicine, a clinical psychologist, physiotherapists and specialist nurses. We offer a range of treatments and interventions in the management of chronic pain, some of which involve the use of medication and others which don’t. Our aim with all treatments is to support and assist patients to manage their pain more effectively and improve their quality of life. The latter may involve patients being invited to attend our comprehensive multidisciplinary Pain Management Programme.
The Pharmacy Department supplies medicines to inpatients and outpatients and helps to make sure medicines are used safely, effectively and efficiently. We provide information and support to prescribers and also supply chemotherapy and other specially prepared medicines from our Aseptic Production Unit. We have teams based at the Royal Bolton Hospital, Bolton One and Darley Court.
To read about the Greater Manchester Joint Formulary follow the link below and see the links under ‘Quick link for patients’.
Greater Manchester Medicines Management Group
Our plastics and skin service aims to ensure timely and effective treatment. It offers assessment and treatment for simple day case procedures at the Royal Bolton Hospital by visiting surgeons from Wythenshawe Specialist Plastic Facility. Plastics also offer support to general surgeons to carry out joint procedures to minimise the amount of operations patients need to have. Outpatient clinics are co-located with skin clinics and plans are in place to strengthen the links between these services to improve patient experience and reduce the number of appointments that patients need to attend.
The Radiology Department provides a wide range of diagnostic imaging services. Equipped with the most up to date digital imaging, we offer services from the Royal Bolton Hospital as well as in Bolton town centre at Bolton One. We also provide nuclear medicine, magnetic resonance (MR) scanning, breast imaging (both screening and diagnostic), and maternity ultrasound.
The award-winning respiratory service provides inpatient and outpatient services to all patients with respiratory disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, tuberculosis and lung cancer. The respiratory service offers full hospital services, supported by colleagues from The Christie and Wythenshawe and by a team of specialist nurses which provides a seven day service to both inpatients and outpatients, as well as home visits as required.
Our sexual and reproductive health service provides diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and complications including HIV. We also provide family planning support and advice and all forms of contraception in one confidential and friendly service. Sexual health is also sometimes referred to as genito-urinary medicine (GUM).
The Adult Speech and Language Therapy service in Bolton provides assessment, advice and treatment to people with speech, language, communication and/or swallowing difficulties after illness such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, cancer and many other conditions. We also offer a comprehensive service to people who are experiencing changes in their voice quality. The service is offered at the Royal Bolton Hospital and in people’s homes, residential and nursing homes and in clinic settings.
The stroke service looks after all patients admitted with a new diagnosis of stroke and provides care back into the community. The specialist team will assess and plan care with your involvement from your admission to transfer into the community .
In the main theatre suite at the Royal Bolton Hospital there are eight theatres for planned surgery which includes general surgery, gynaecology, ENT, oral maxillofacial, orthopaedic and vascular. There is also a dedicated 24 hour emergency theatre and an orthopaedic trauma theatre. All our theatre staff complete an intense training programme to develop their competencies in care provided before, during and after operations. The Day Care Unit has two operating theatres and a treatment room. We care for adult patients undergoing a range of surgical procedures including orthopaedic, gynaecology, general surgery, plastic, dental, oral, pain management, breast and vascular surgery who will go home the same day.
The therapy service consists of a number of highly skilled teams who are committed to delivering the best quality care. The services are delivered in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings and consist of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, nutrition and dietetics, orthotics and clinical health psychology. These teams work independently but have very close links, providing seamless patient care.
The tissue viability service specialises in assessing, diagnosing and treating a variety of complex wounds. The team is committed to delivering a highly specialised service that is available across the Bolton area. The tissue service is also a teaching centre that is accessible to health professionals in Bolton.
Our highly skilled team of urology consultants and nurses provide excellent care to patients who have problems with their urinary system. The department has its own operating theatre and an area for clinics and outpatient diagnostics.
The Workplace Health and Wellbeing Department, formerly known as Occupational Health, provides a range of clinical and non clinical services that deal with the effects of work on health, and health on work.
