Bristol Royal Infirmary

I came in here to get an X ray on my knee and it took no time at all, i was in and out in under an hour. The people that helped me were all very nice. However i haven’t been in there on a saturday night when i imagine it is a different story.
My brother came in here to look after a mate who had broken his leg on just such a Saturday night. Whilst he was waiting, he asked what the most amusing injury they had had anyone come in for. The nurse told him a story about some guy who came in with a light bulb stuck in his mouth; he had been dared to see if he could get it both in and out, but once it was in it got stuck. About an hour after they had sorted him out another guy came in with the same ‘problem’. It was the taxi driver who had driven light bulb no.1 to the hospital; when he got off his shift he went home and gave it a go himself!
I suppose there are some perks to working a Saturday night.

This is the City’s central hospital and is home to the maternity ward where the majority of babies in Bristol are born. I’ve only ever been to the A&E department (when my husband broke his ankle playing football). As A&E departments go it’s pretty sound with vending machines to help keep people’s blood sugar levels up. There’s no escaping it A&E departments are pretty grim places, nevertheless, the staff are pretty patient and understanding and if you need to stop by the entrance very quickly to collect an injured partner then that’s cool — though quite why the A&E department is situated up a flight of stairs, I will never know. You can get to it from the back of the hospital mind, without going up the stairs. The children’s hospital is very well known and respected and you can’t fail to notice the bizarre colourful hoop sculpture out the front. Oh and the rows of smokers in hospital gowns. Unbelievable.

Nobody likes going to the hospital, even if you’re just there to visit. The Bristol Royal Infirmary doesn’t look to inviting from the outside, it resembles more of a street-​long block of offices. However, inside is an entirely different story. It is so bright and cheerful! You don’t quite forget you’re in a hospital, but the atmosphere is very calm and positive that you could be in a town hall. The BRI is closely linked to the University of Bristol and is a teaching hospital so you may have to be a little patient with the nurses and doctors. However, everyone s so professional, efficient and always smiling that you know you’re in safe and capable hands.