Park and Ride
Parking is free at all Park and Ride sites in Cambridge. There are disabled spaces located close to the bus stops. The best park and ride sites for accessing Royal Papworth Hospital are Trumpington and Babraham Road.
Trumpington
Use Stagecoach busway route A from Trumpington Park and Ride to get to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. This might be signposted to St Ives or Huntingdon, but serves the campus.
Please note: From Monday 1 May 2023 until July 2023 the busway route A service will follow a diversion route in both directions. Our usual bus stop outside our north entrance, off Francis Crick Avenue, will be closed. An alternative, temporary bus stop will be installed at Robinson Way outside AstraZeneca. This is just a short walk from our north entrance. You will be able to see our building when you alight.
Babraham Road
If coming from Babraham Road Park and Ride, then there is only one service available from here and it will stop at the Addenbrooke's Hospital main bus stop.
From here it is a 15-minute walk to Royal Papworth Hospital.
Please note: Space at this site is temporarily reduced due to a major climate change project by Cambridgeshire County Council, installing solar panels at the site.
Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
If travelling on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway then you will need:
Both of these stop outside the Addenbrooke's outpatients department, from where you will need to walk to Royal Papworth Hospital or catch the courtesy bus.
Other buses
There are a number of bus stops around the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The nearest one is on Robinson Way, just a short walk from our north entrance. This is a temporary bus stop as our usual stop outside our north entrance, is currently closed until July 2023.
Campus courtesy bus
From Monday 11 October 2021, the courtesy bus service will resume on a limited service with limited seating and reduced hours.
The new operating hours will be Monday to Friday between 08:00 - 16:00.
Patients will be asked to wear a face mask at all times and hand sanitiser will be available.
We have a number of Sheffield bike stands around the perimeter of our hospital to which you can seurely lock your bicycle, by both our north and south entances.
If you live near a train station, you may prefer to travel by train to Cambridge Station and take a bus to the hospital or nearby Francis Crick Avenue.
Alternatively, you could take a taxi from Cambridge Railway Station to the new hospital (2.5 miles), which would take around 10-15 minutes depending on traffic.
Shelford Railway Station is also a similar distance away (three miles) but there is no taxi rank, so a taxi would need to be booked in advance.
Free parking is available at the Park and Ride sites listed above - see 'travelling by bus'.
The postcode for our hospital is CB2 0AY, but some older sat navs that have not been updated may not recognise this. Please use CB2 0QQ as an alternative.
There is easy access to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, from the M11 at junction 11 or via the A11 and A1307.
Car Park 2
Our patients and visitors have access to a multi-story car park - known as Car Park 2 - which is situated right outside our hospital.
There are disabled spaces on levels 1-4 and some electric charging spaces on the ground floor.
This car park is run by Saba who are a private company.
Cost
Patients parking in Car Park 2 will be entitled to discounted rates of £4.80 per day, but you will need to show your appointment letter or card at the customer service desk within the car park for the discount to be applied.
If you have repeat outpatient appointments over a seven-day period you still only need to pay £4.80 in total (rather than each day), but you will need proof of multiple appointments.
Please be aware that the operators, Saba, offer no discounted rates for inpatients who may be keeping a car in the car park for multiple days without leaving. It is best therefore that you are dropped-off and picked-up if staying with us as an inpatient, or travel via public transport.
Discounted rates are available for frequent visitors. You can buy a seven day ticket or a 14 day ticket. To obtain either of these please take a ticket as you enter the car park and then exchange it at the customer service desk for the period you require on the ground floor of Car Park 2. Pay the fee at the pay machine to validate the ticket - keep this ticket and use it each time you exit the car park.
| Patient daily |
£4.80 |
| Patient weekly | £4.80 |
|
Seven day ticket |
£25.50 |
| 14 day ticket | £42.50 |
More information on Car Park 2, including prices.
Leaving Car Park 2
Upon exiting the car park by foot, Royal Papworth Hospital is a very short walk as you exit the car park , the hospital is the large blue, curved building which runs directly opposite the car park. If you cannot see the hospital, then you will have come out the wrong exit.
Drop-off and pick-up
There are a small number of spaces outside our hospital to allow for patients to be dropped-off or picked-up, but these have a maximum 30-minute stay limit.
We also have six blue badge spaces in this area. These have a maximum stay of four hours.
The bays directly out the front of our hospital have a maximum stay of five minutes.
If you are travelling to Royal Papworth Hospital for NHS treatment, you may be entitled to help from the hospital with your travel costs, including parking fees. You or your partner (including civil partners) must produce evidence of the car parking ticket and eligibility for any of the following benefits:
- Income SupportIncome-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- NHS tax credit exemption certificate
- Low income and named on an HC2 certificate or HC3 certificate
- Universal Credit, and meet the criteria
Travel costs payable are those ‘necessarily incurred’. This means travel by the cheapest means of transport available at the time you travel.
The type of paid travel costs:
- Public transport fares (supporting documentation required)
- Private car (mileage allowance)
- Voluntary car scheme (mileage allowance)
To claim travel costs you or your representative should go to the cashiers office on the ground floor of the hospital. You must bring with you appropriate documentation (within date) showing your entitlement to have travel costs paid (e.g. benefit book, letter of notification of your entitlement).
If you do not bring evidence of your entitlement you will not be refunded on the day. You will have to claim a refund using a HC5(T) form, which will have to send to the appropriate benefit office.
Instructions are provided on the form and are available from Main Reception or download from the NHS Choices Website.
If you need someone to travel with you for medical reasons, you may also get help with your 'escort' costs, providing you are entitled to help with your own costs.
To obtain 'escort' costs, an escort stencil which can be obtained from the Reimbursement Office (next to main reception) or by ringing 01223 639117.
Escort costs are only payable on the completion of this form, signed by a senior nurse or doctor on the ward.
Plan your journey and visit - view detailed access guides on the AccessAble website.
For information about travelling to and from Royal Papworth Hospital, contact PALS on 01223 638896.
For information about travel costs, contact the Patient Reimbursement Office on 01223 639117.
If you have any queries, ask your nurse to contact our social worker on 01223 639081 or 01223 638631.
Further advice may be found online at the NHS Choices website.
Visitors in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits visiting a close relative may be able to receive assistance in the form of a Discretionary Care Grant. Further information about this assistance can be obtained from your local council.
