Does anyone use Adenbrookes hospital?

[Owllady]

I have an appointment there next week and I just want to know a few really basic question and think this is most probably the best place to ask as I need to ascertain how much time to allow etc and I will be really grateful of any input as my dd has severe learning disabilities, autism and challenging behaviour and anything that makes things easier is a godsend iykwim. My questions are

Is the traffic bad to get to and from the hospital? our appointment is at 10 in the morning, I will be travelling from Beds

Am i likely to be seen pretty quickly?

Is it easy to park? and how much is it generally?

I know this might sound simple, but it honestly makes all the difference!

the appointment is for my dd obviously

I do or rather DD does, she's been an Addenbrooke's patient for almost all of her 23 years.

Parking is OK there's a multistory on site, if you have proof of your appointment (a letter or card) take it with the car park ticket to the man in the booth and he'll exchange your ticket for one that means you pay £3.00.We don't usually have too many problems parking even for a 9am appointment but here is a nearby park and ride which is slightly cheaper if you don't want to risk it (Google Babraham park and ride for directions).

if you're at the eye clinic be prepared for the longest wait known to mankind, all other clinics are usually pretty good, the children's clinic used to have a small play area and sometime a play worker there but it is a few years since we used Paeds.

Travel from Bedford shouldn't be too bad for a 10am appointment, your worst bit will probably be the Black Cat roundabout (DD is a regular commuter to Bedford as she's at uni there?

If I can help with anything else I'd be glad to.

There is a multi-storey car park but it does get very busy around the local area. The carpark is quite expensive. There are buses that stop there- you can easily get a bus from the train station if that is an option.
Just make sure you leave plenty of time to find a space and find your way to your appointment.

We use this hospital.
Traffic can be busy but you can avoid the city centre; approach from M11 Jn10, head north (v briefly, towards the park and ride) then turn right onto the hospital link road (signposted) . In my experience you may queue for a while on this road, but shouldn't be too bad.
Parking: there are some disabled parking spaces right outside outpatients (prebooked) but otherwise there is the multistorey main visitors carpark. You should be fine to get a space, may need to drive up to a high level.

show your appointment card/letter to the customer services desk in the car park or to the main reception in the hospital and they will swap your car park ticket for one that will only cost you £3 for your visit. Do this swap before you pay at the machine when you are ready to leave.

Hope this helps.

Oh and ask one of the volunteers at main reception if they will show you the way to your clinic.

Oh I knew this was the best place to ask! Thank you all. I had anticipated the black cat roundabout as I have worked in St Neots in the past though i remember my first day and everyone laughed at me because I hadn't noticed the black cat

I don't have a blue badge atm, but will be taking the wheelchair, is there a lift on the car park?

There are lifts at the multi-storey.
It is several stories high

so I wont have to slide down the ramps then? I have been living in Bedford for too long

There is a lift in the multi storey then ramps throughout the walkway from the lifts to the hospital.

Are you going to clinic 6?? If so there are toys, usually a craft table , a games console and a play worker. The play workers are great at distracting your DC so you can speak to nurses etc.

I'll give sliding down the ramps a go on Friday when I'm there with DD and let you know...

I think I may have meant Jn11 of the M11. The one just south of Cambridge. Sorry to confuse!

We use Addenbrookes for DS, he is 12 now and we've been there for various things since he was a baby. It is a great hospital and we have had great care there, although as another poster said the eye clinic can be an all day affair!!

I would allow an hour from the black cat to Addenbrookes and as someone else said, take the A428 then the M11 southbound to J11 as there is a new-ish link road to the hospital which has been open a year or so now and avoids all the traffic in the centre. I say so long as I find it can take 20 mins to park the car and then to walk to the right dept. Two lifts in the car park but they are often busy.

What clinic are you going to?

It is clinic 6, I have just checked. It's to see orthopedics

Clinic 6 is lovely and very child-friendly (or at least it was back in our day).

Do you have owls Owllady?

no, not pet ones :) I live quite rural but not massively so and we have lots of owls close and I am rather obsessed with them :) but I see more buzzards ona day to day basis

we just have chickens and border collies!

Clinic 6 is absolutely brilliant. I was there with DS on Friday. Loads of toys and books, really lovely, supportive staff and some excellent play therapists too.

DS cried when we had to leave.

Hope it goes well.

I hope it goes well too as I have to go on my own with her and she can be quite difficult in new situations plus I am frightened to death at the prospect of major spinal surgery but I am trying not to focus on that and just worry about travelling and parking!

thank you everyone though, you have all been so helpful :)

You'd love my DS then Owllady, he's a falconer and he text me the other day to say he had a bird in his room; a young owl he was helping to raise called Percy.

I would say allow half an hour just for driving round Addenbrookes (it's huge!), finding the multi-storey and a space, then getting down to Clinic. Black cat is fine at that time of day usually. Don't bother even looking for a space unless you are on level 5 or above though

I live near shuttleworth, hell, one of my friends children trained there. I know this may not be where your ds is though, but I am sure he will know of it :) Love Percy too -over obsessed with thomas in this house...

thanks kundry i will bear that in mind as i have limited sense of direction when stressed

For Clinic 6 it's easiest to go in through the Outpatients entrance, as you just turn left at the end near the shop and WRVS cafe, and it's at the end of the corridor.

There can be a delay, but as above there are playworkers and lots of activities for distraction. They're really excellent with kids.

Hope it all goes well :)

thank you everyone, will let you know how we get on. I am dreading the actual appointment and outcome but at least i don't feel as nervous about the practical side

TBH we always use the park and ride - it's cheaper than using the multi-storey, you don't need to worry about finding your way to the hospital or round the site to the car park, and the bus station is a much shorter walk to clinic 6 than from the multistorey.

Hope it goes well. Addenbrookes is a really friendly hospital IME (I used to work there and will probably do so again )

I use the Babraham Road Park and Ride every day for work. Only a 5 minute ride away at that time of day but whether you decide to use Park and Ride or the hospital car parks leave plenty of time. Cambridge traffic is as unpredictable as eveyone says. The Park and Ride is usually reliable but beware that sometimes it can be awful - especially as the bus does a cross City route so can pick up delays on the other side of the City even if its fine to the South.

If you use the Park and Ride you can pay the £2.20 on the bus to go to Addenbrookes - you don't need exact change. They can take wheelchairs but only one per bus.

If you've left loads of time you will no doubt be hugely early (well that's what happens to me but like you I'd rather it that way) - there is a WRVS cafe in outpatients where we used to amuse small children with cake before appointments!