Royal Bolton Hospital is located in Farnworth and provides a wide range of services, including maternity and a specialist neonatal unit.

We ask that visitors continue to take reasonable precautions to keep everyone safe. Please do not visit if you are unwell – in particular with signs or symptoms of respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 or flu, diarrhoea and vomiting or other infectious illnesses.

Travel to the hospital

Arriving by car

Car parking tariffs

*Blue badge holders should register direct with ParkingEye on 0333 123 1454.

Visitor car parks are clearly signposted and there are payment machines on each car park with simple instructions.

The majority of kiosks can take cash, card or you can register by phone with good2go. Instructions along with terms and conditions are on signage throughout the site. You have the option to pay via good2go up to 24 hours after leaving the car park using this link.

You will find the pay machines at the below locations:

• Inside the Main Entrance
• Outside Main Entrance
• Chadwick car park
• Bridge car park
• N Block car park (Kinlay Road)
• Education Centre
• Maternity car park
• department entrance
• H Block entrance
• Inside the building at Breast Services

There are drop-off areas where visitors can stop for a maximum of 10 minutes to take a patient inside before using one of the car parks after this brief stop. Anyone waiting longer than 10 minutes will incur a fine.

These drop-off areas are outside:

• Emergency Department
• Main Entrance
• New Theatres (Churchill Drive)
• Maternity Department
• H block
• K block

Wheelchairs are available at the main entrance for patients to get to different departments.

Failure to comply will result in a parking charge of £70, or £42 if paid within the first two weeks. Please note that parking charges are managed by ParkingEye and not through the Trust, so all charges are subject to their terms and conditions.

Further information is available at www.parkingeye.co.uk or you can contact ParkingEye directly on 0333 123 1454.

Arriving by bus

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.

For up to date bus information, please use the Traveline service

Arriving by bicycle 

We have a bicycle parking rack at the main entrance, which holds up to six bikes.

If the parking rack is full, visitors will need to contact reception for access to the staff bike shed and a code will be provided.

Toilets

Although there are public disabled toilets throughout the hospital, there is not currently a toilet with a hoist facility for use by visitors.

Accessibility

Wheelchairs are available at the main entrance for use by patients to get to different medical departments and wards.

These are £1 coin-operated, just like a supermarket trolley, and are available between 8:30am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.

Our porters are also available to help patients and visitors get to departments and wards.

Please ask about this at the main reception desk.

AccessAble online guides are designed to help you plan your visit with ease, and give clear, practical accessibility information for public places across the UK.

The hospital site has been thoroughly surveyed so you can access accurate guides for more than 80 departments.

These guides show you:

• how to get to the hospital
• where it's easiest to park
• the most accessible routes to entrances and departments
• photos and descriptions so you know what to expect before you arrive

Whether you're visiting for an appointment, supporting a loved one, or coming to a new department for the first time, these guides are there to help make your journey smoother and reduce any worries about navigating the site.

You can find all AccessAble guides for Royal Bolton Hospital here.

Visiting after hours

Access to the main hospital at night is via the main entrance and these doors are locked between 10:30pm and 5:30am.

During that time, anyone who wants to come in will be asked by staff for the reason they are visiting and will have to sign in and out at the reception desk.

Checks are also made with wards and departments before anyone is allowed to visit at these times.

Are there facilities for parents to feed or change young children?

We are a breastfeeding friendly organisation, and you are welcome to feed your child where you wish.

In addition, there are special areas around the hospital where you can feed or change your child if you are more comfortable. Please ask at main reception for more details.

Facilities at Royal Bolton Hospital

Vending machines

Available 24/7 throughout the hospital, in key areas such as our Emergency Department.

Shops

The Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) run two shops at the hospital. They sell a variety of items including toiletries, food, newspapers and magazines.

The RVS shops are in the Maternity department and on the main corridor through the hospital, near to Trust HQ on the ground floor.

Food & drink options

Eatwell Restaurant, E Block, Ground Floor

• Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 4pm and 8am to 2pm at the weekend.
• Breakfast 7.30-11.30am
• Lunch 11.45am-4pm

It serves a delicious array of freshly prepared food, sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit, yoghurt pots, tea, coffee, cold drinks and snacks.

They also stock a range of essentials including toiletries, baby essentials, biscuits, chargers, nightwear and more.
Fontanella Coffee Shop, main entrance

• Monday to Friday, 8am to midnight, and 12pm to 7pm Saturday and Sunday.

Serves a great selection of hot and cold drinks, hot and cold ‘good to go' snacks, soup and freshly prepared sandwiches and paninis.

Joes Coffee Co, Chadwick Car Park

Sells a variety of drinks, sandwiches and snacks.

Carrs pasties, Chadwick Car Park

Sells a variety of drinks, sandwiches, salads and pasties.

Smokefree hospital

Our hospital site is completely smokefree, and you will be asked to stop smoking. Around many of our entrances are the wards caring for some of our most vulnerable patients; our children's ward, our maternity unit, and patients recovering from surgery. Please help us to keep them safe by not smoking around them.

We know how challenging it can be to quit smoking, but with such significant risks to your health from smoking, we want to do everything we can to support you to quit.

We provide all patients in hospital with access to smoking cessation support so that it doesn't add to the pressures of being unwell in hospital, through our specialist CURE team. Please ask the nurse in charge of your care to refer you.

If you're visiting someone in hospital, please do not smoke on site. If you're looking for support to quit smoking in Bolton, please visit Let's Keep Bolton Moving for support in the community.