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hospital.contact

Editorial policy

Last updated 24 October 2026

hospital.contact gives people the practical information they need before going to a hospital: phone numbers, visiting rules, parking, how to get there and how to raise a concern. This page explains how we make sure it’s right.

Where our information comes from

Every fact on a hospital page comes from an official source, usually the hospital’s own website. We also use:

  • the NHS Organisation Data Service, for the names, codes and addresses of hospitals and NHS trusts
  • the NHS website and the regulators (CQC, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and RQIA)
  • AccessAble, which publishes detailed access guides for many NHS hospitals
  • university and transport websites, for travel directions to the same site

Each hospital page lists its sources and the date we checked each one.

What we don’t do

  • We don’t estimate or guess. If a hospital doesn’t publish something, such as visiting hours or parking prices, we say so rather than fill the gap.
  • We don’t give medical advice, and nothing on this site tells you whether to go to A&E. If someone’s life is at risk, call 999. For urgent help that isn’t life-threatening, use NHS 111, NHS 111 Wales, NHS 24 or your GP out-of-hours service.
  • We don’t rank hospitals or emergency departments against each other.

Checking and re-checking

  • A hospital page is published only after it has been checked against its sources and meets a minimum standard: a switchboard number and at least one other contact, visiting information, at least three common questions answered, and at least one official reference.
  • Every page shows the date it was last checked. We re-check each page at least every three months, and sooner if a hospital changes its services.
  • Pages that haven’t been checked yet aren’t published.

Mistakes and corrections

Hospitals change things, and we sometimes get things wrong. If you spot something that’s out of date, use the “Report something wrong” link on the page or email us. We aim to reply within two working days and to correct confirmed mistakes as soon as we can.

Independence

hospital.contact is independent. We’re not part of the NHS or any NHS trust or health board, and no hospital pays to appear or to influence what we say. We don’t carry adverts or affiliate links at the moment. If that changes, they will be clearly labelled and kept separate from the hospital information.