The Royal London Hospital

We welcome visitors to The Royal London Hospital. Before you arrive, please familiarise yourself with our visiting guidance.

Our AccessAble guides and routes

• If you are unable to attend the hospital to visit, we can prearrange an electronic visiting using phones or tablet devices

Videos to support you in Bengali, Somali and English

Information in Bengali

Information in Somali

Information in English 

For patients in the adult emergency department

If you need to contact a patient in the department, please call 020 3377 7000 and ask for the adult emergency department. To help us locate the patient, please have their full name and date of birth available. 

For patients on our ITU wards

If you have a relative/ loved one on our ITU wards (the 4th and 15th floor), the phone number is 07710 066 906. They may be busy with patients/ relatives or have poor signal so please do text them and they will contact you as soon as they can. Their operating hours are largely 9-5pm or sometimes 10-7pm if they are supporting families who need out of office hours support.

For patients who are in an urgent/life-threatening condition

If something is urgent or life-threatening, the patient's designated contact person will receive a call from the hospital.

If you need urgent help, please call the ward/department and ask to speak to the Nurse in Charge. If you need further support, call switchboard on 0207 377 7000 and ask for help from the Site Manager.

For non-urgent/ life-threatening patients

If the person is unconscious or is unable to update their designated contact person, the designated contact person will receive a call from the hospital.

Calls to the designated contact person from the hospital will usually happen from 2pm, or whenever ward rounds finish each day but may be as late as 7pm depending on how sick the patient is. Most wards will provide updates from the doctor and/or nurses every 48 hours, unless a patient’s condition significantly changes

Tips on when to call the wards

To increase your chance of your call being answered, please call between the hours of 2-6pm and after 8pm. However please remember that patient care will always be prioritised over answering the phone if the ward has a high number of sick patients.

Our adult emergency department (ED) is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We provide emergency care for patients aged 18 and over, and support admissions to adult wards when needed. 

The Royal London Hospital is the Major Trauma Centre for north east London and Essex and provides specialist emergency care, including stroke services and access to a wide range of medical and surgical specialties. 

Our multidisciplinary team includes doctors, nurses, advanced clinical practitioners, physician associates and support staff. We also work closely with the East London NHS Foundation Trust Mental Health Liaison Team to support patients experiencing mental health crises. 

Staff wear colour-coded uniforms to help patients identify their role and level of seniority. Doctors wear light blue, aqua blue or navy blue scrubs, while nursing staff wear different uniform colours according to their role. 

We have dedicated emergency imaging facilities, including X-ray and CT scanning services available within the department. 

Initial Assessment 

When you arrive at the emergency department, please check in at the reception desk near the main entrance. 

After registering, you will be assessed by a triage (streaming) nurse, who will direct you to the most appropriate service for your needs. Depending on your condition, this may be the emergency department, the urgent treatment centre (UTC), or the GP hub. 

Early Senior Assessment (Zone D) 

Most patients will first be seen by a senior clinician in an area called Early Senior Assessment (Zone D). This brief assessment helps identify any immediate clinical needs and whether any investigations are required, such as: 

• Blood tests 
• ECG (heart tracing) 
• X-rays 
• CT scans 
• Other appropriate tests 

After your initial assessment, there may be a wait while investigations are completed and results become available. During this time, you will usually be asked to wait in the main waiting room. 

Once your results are available, you will have a more detailed consultation. This may include reviewing your test results, a clinical examination if needed, and discussing your diagnosis and treatment plan. 

Following this assessment, you will either: 

• Be discharged with advice and any necessary follow-up arrangements, or 
• Be admitted to hospital for further treatment or investigation. 

If you need urgent treatment 

If, at any stage, you become more unwell or require immediate treatment, you may be moved to another clinical area based on your condition. These areas include: 

• Resuscitation (Resus) 
• Zone A 
• Zone B 

Your care will always be prioritised according to clinical need. 

Waiting times 

Waiting times can vary depending on the severity of patients' conditions, the number of people attending the department and the specialist services required. 

Patients with the most serious or life-threatening conditions are treated first. Our teams work hard to assess, treat and discharge patients as quickly and safely as possible. 

Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) 

Some patients may be referred to Emergency Department Same Day Emergency Care (EDSDEC) or Specialty Same Day Emergency Care (Specialty SDEC). These services provide rapid assessment, investigation and treatment for patients who can often be managed without needing to stay for a longer review or overnight in hospital. If you are suitable for one of these services, a member of staff will explain the process and direct you to the appropriate area. 

Visiting the adult emergency department [add to exiting visiting tab on page] 

To help us provide safe care and manage space within the department, we ask that patients are accompanied by no more than one relative, friend or carer wherever possible. 

Exceptions are made for: 

• Critically unwell patients, including those receiving end-of-life care. 
• Patients with dementia, cognitive impairment or confusion. 
• Patients with a learning disability or other additional support needs. 

Adults with additional needs 

We understand that the emergency department can be a busy, noisy and sometimes overwhelming environment. This can be particularly challenging for people with additional needs, including learning disabilities, autism, dementia or other cognitive impairments. 

Please tell a member of staff about any additional needs as soon as possible, including at reception, during your initial assessment, or when you arrive in a clinical area. If you have a hospital passport, please share this with staff to help us provide the best possible care. 

Where possible, we will try to accommodate patients in areas with reduced noise and stimulation. However, this may not always be immediately available during particularly busy periods. 

If you have any dietary requirements and are likely to remain in the department for more than four hours, please let a member of staff know. 

Further information for adults with learning disabilities and their carers can be found on our accessibility page. 

 

For information on how to contact a patient in the adult emergency department, please see the tab above called 'contacting a loved one'.

For information on facilities in the adult emergency department, please see the tab below called 'our facilities'.

More information about our accident and emergency departments.

More information about our children's (paediatric) emergency department at The Royal London Hospital.

Ward	Phone number
D - Clinical Decision Unit (CDU)	020 3594 0048
3D - Short Stay Surgery (ACAD)	020 3594 0227
3E - Surgical admissions	020 3594 2195
3F - High Dependency Surgery (HDU)	020 3594 2215
4E/F - Adult Critical Care Unit (ACCU)	020 3594 0420
6C - Paediatric Critical Care Unit (PCCU)	020 3594 0382/0383
6E/F - Delivery Suite	020 3594 2364/2365
7C - Paediatric Surgical	020 3594 0720
7D - Paediatric Assesment and Short Stay Unit (PASSU)	020 3594 0443
7E - A-side Respiratory Paediatrics and General Paediatrics	020 3594 2421
7E – B-side Haematology Oncology and General Paediatrics	020 3594 2421
7F - Paediatric Gastroenterology	0203 594 2447
8B - Lotus Birth Centre	020 3594 1561
8C - Gynaecological	020 3594 1561
8D - Neonatal Unit	020 3594 0524
8F - Maternity Inpatients	020 3594 2505
9E - Renal and Urology Inpatients	020 3594 2612/3
Renal High Dependency Unit (HDU)	020 3594 2653
9F - Renal and Urology Inpatients	020 3594 2637/8
10E - Vascular	020 3594 2696
10F - Orthopaedic	020 3594 2716
11C - Stroke Unit	020 3594 0614
11E - Acute Admissions Unit (AAU)	020 3594 1111/2809
11F - Acute Admissions Unit (AAU)	020 3594 2825/2826
12C - Emergency Orthopaedic Surgery and Plastics	020 3594 1210/0683
12D - Trauma	020 3594 0718
12E - Neurosciences, ENT and OMFS	020 3594 2862/3
12F - Neurosciences, ENT and OMFS	020 3594 2847/8
13C - Medical Ward	020 3594 1310/0741
13D - Medical and Haematology	020 3594 1320/0769
13E - Cardiac and Respiratory Medicine	020 3594 2881/2879
13F - Infection, Regional HIV and Respiratory Medicine	020 3594 2901/2906
14E - Elderly Care	020 3594 2918
14F - Older people's services (Elsie Gilding Unit)	020 3594 2936/7

 

Adult emergency department

Accessible toilets are available throughout the adult emergency department. If you are in the main waiting area, accessible toilets can be found in Zone D. 

A vending machine is available in the main waiting room. 

Patients being treated in the department are offered hot and cold drinks. For patients who remain in the department for more than four hours, sandwiches and snacks are available. Patients waiting more than eight hours for admission to a ward are provided with hot meals at mealtimes. 

Patients staying in the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit are provided with hot meals and snacks during their stay, in line with other ward areas across the hospital. 

Overnight accommodation

We can offer overnight accommodation for the relatives of patients being admitted to the hospital or for patients who attend the hospital for regular treatment. We can also provide facilities for patients prior to their appointment who have to travel a long way to attend the hospital for complex investigations or treatment, but who do not need to be readmitted to a ward. Please ask the ward staff or pre-admission staff to see if this accommodation would be suitable for you, or your relatives, at any stage of your treatment.

Stevenson House on Ashfield Street is available for the families of children admitted to The Royal London for long stays. It is a 16 bedded house and includes two fully-equipped kitchens, 10 bathrooms, a large shared living room, a playroom and laundry facilities. Direct phone lines connect the wards to family bedrooms. The Sick Children's Trust provides the 'Home from Home' accommodation in Stevenson House, they are a voluntary organisation that do not charge for the stay and rely entirely on donations.

Enquiries should be made via the house manager on telephone 020 7791 2604.

Discharge lounge

If you, a friend or a family member are well enough to go home, hospital stays may finish in our discharge lounge. The lounge is a relaxing and calm space to wait for transport or medications to take home.

 At the discharge lounge we:

• have fully qualified nurses to answer any questions and care for our patients
• have TV, newspapers and magazines to enjoy
• offer a hot meal, drinks and snacks 

Please speak to the nurse in charge if you have any questions.

Multi-faith chaplaincy centre

Chaplains of many faiths are available to speak to all patients, relatives and carers. The chaplaincy team welcomes everyone, whatever your faith or beliefs and whether or not you follow a religion. Information about your religious preference will be passed to the chaplaincy. If you do not wish this to happen, please inform a member of staff.

Telephones

There are payphones and direct lines to taxi companies on the ground floor of the main hospital building at the Whitechapel entrance.

Restaurant and kiosk

There is a kiosk selling hot and cold beverages, fruit and snacks in the Stepney Way atrium which is open 8am to 3pm Monday to Friday.

The staff, patient and visitor restaurant is located on the fifth floor of the main building. It is open daily 7.30am to 7pm, including weekends and bank holidays. With impressive views of the surrounding area, the restaurant has 180 seats and serves a varied menu to cater for a range of diets. A selection of hot and cold foods are available in the restaurant.

In the restaurant is a vending machine and water dispenser which are accessible 24 hours a day throughout the week. Find out about disabled access to the restaurant.

Costa Coffee has two cafes on site, one located in the dental hospital on Turner Street and the other at the Whitechapel entrance to the main hospital building.

Cash point

There is a cash point on the wall of the medical college student union building, opposite the outpatients department in Stepney Way.

Cashiers office

A cashier’s office is available on the second floor of the main hospital building, outside of the fracture clinic.

Toilets

Public male, female and disabled toilets are accessible on all floors of the hospital outside of wards.

Wifi

Free wifi is available throughout the hospital for patients. There’s no time limit on use, and capacity has been expanded in order to ensure continuous access for as many users as possible.

Please note that the wifi cannot support streaming movies or high-intensity computer games.

The wifi can be accessed by completing the following steps:

• Connect to the NHS Wi-Fi wireless network
• Open your web browser
• From the welcome page, accept the terms and conditions
• Browse the internet and send and receive emails

Barts Hospital Radio

Barts Hospital Radio is free and provides programs of entertainment, music, and news: 24 hours a day, seven days a week.