If arriving by car, please use the main visitors’ car park marked on this Royal Hospitals site map.
There is a small charge for parking, which you will need to pay at the kiosk or pay machines BEFORE you return to your car.
Allow yourself plenty of time (up to an hour) to park and get to your clinic or ward. The visitors’ car park can get very busy and there can be queues at peak times.
There is a pedestrian route to the main Royal Victoria Hospital building from the ground level of the main visitors’ car park beside the School Of Dentistry. From there, a tunnel corridor accesses the hospital. At the end of the tunnel corridor, there are stairs and a lift to the main entrance of the hospital. The Maternity Hospital entrance is 100 yards from the entrance to the main hospital.
Regional parking enforcement contract
The Belfast Trust introduced parking enforcement in 2020. Parking Eye is the regional contractor for parking enforcement for the Belfast Trust. Work has commenced on hospital sites to install the infrastructure to support enforcement via automatic number plate recognition camera technology. Please be advised that enforcement will be via enforcement patrols and automatic number plate recognition camera technology going forward.
How this will affect patients or visitors
Patient and visitors should be mindful of where they park when on Trust sites. As stated above, automatic number plate recognition camera technology will form part of this regional contract as well as enforcement patrols. If a parking infringement has occurred you may receive a parking charge notice via foot patrol – this will be left on your vehicle or if via automatic number plate recognition camera technology, the parking charge notice will be issued via post to the registered keeper of the vehicle.
In the interest of clarity and avoidance of doubt, patients and visitors should take note of the following:
Please be aware of any parking restrictions displayed on parking enforcement signage when you are parking your vehicle
Parking charge notices incorporate advice on the right of appeal in circumstances where it is considered the parking charge notice has been issued inappropriately; any patient or visitor in receipt of a parking charge notice should follow the appeals information provided upon the notice.
Non-payment of a parking charge notice may lead to further action being taken by the contractor.
Parking for blue badge holders
The main visitors’ car park for the Royal Victoria Hospital has 34 parking spaces for blue badge holders – 30 at ground level and four more on the upper level. When you enter the main visitors’ car park, the parking spaces for blue badge holders are in the far right corner as you go underneath the top deck.
There is a pedestrian route to the main Royal Victoria Hospital building from the ground level of the main visitors’ car park beside the School Of Dentistry. From there, a tunnel corridor accesses the hospital. At the end of the tunnel corridor, there are stairs and a lift to the main entrance of the hospital. The Maternity Hospital entrance is 100 yards from the entrance to the main hospital.
Abuse of parking spaces for blue badge holders
Any vehicle parked in a space for a blue badge holder must have a valid blue badge displayed. Your vehicle may be clamped if you fail to do so.
Drop-off and short stay areas
There is a drop-off area on the through road beside the main Royal Victoria Hospital entrance. This drop-off area has space for approximately four vehicles. The Maternity Hospital entrance is 100 yards from here.
Free car parking
Limited free car parking is available to people who meet certain criteria. Free parking is located in car parks managed by the Trust. There is no free parking in the main visitors’ car park.
Patients with specific acute conditions who are required to attend the hospital on a regular basis will be entitled to free parking on site during their period of treatment.
Patients will be issued with a swipe card to park, but must pay their original ticket in the visitors’ car park before leaving or moving their vehicle to a car park managed by the Trust. This swipe card can be used in the car park managed by the Trust for the duration of the patient’s stay in hospital.
When leaving or being discharged from hospital, the swipe card must be returned to a ward or department member of staff. The barrier can be lifted by using the intercom when exiting the car park.
Free car parking will be provided to anyone who meets the following eligibility criteria:
| Patient | Next of kin / partner | Relative | Visitor | |
| Radiotherapy / chemotherapy | Yes | Yes if transporting patient | Yes if transporting patient | No |
| Renal dialysis | Yes | Yes if transporting patient | Yes if transporting patient | No |
| Critical care / high dependency | N/A | Yes | Discretionary | Discretionary |
Trust staff will use discretion to apply the eligibility criteria in other situations where the duration and/or frequency of visits leads to significant charges, for example:
- a patient who may have a number of outpatient appointments over an extended period
- a patient who may benefit from lengthy or frequent visits from relatives or friends to help adjust to a new environment
- a patient outside the prescribed treatment categories who has to make lengthy and/or frequent visits for treatment
- relatives who are spending a lot of time with a very sick or dying relative
- parents or guardians who are staying with their sick child or baby
- husbands or partners who are with their wife or partner while she is in labour