Bristol Royal Infirmary
Bristol · BS2 8HW · data via University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
Locals may know it as: BRI, Bristol Royal, BRI A&E
Time in department now
No live feed
Estimated wait: ~2 hr 57 min
67.8% done within 4 hrs · September 2026
Primary source: University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust — published waiting times
About this department
Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) is a large teaching hospital in the centre of Bristol. Part of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, the hospital is a major trauma centre for the Severn area and provides specialist services in cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, and vascular surgery. The Emergency Department handles approximately 90,000 attendances per year. The BRI has strong academic links with the University of Bristol and is a leading centre for clinical research and medical education. The hospital campus is adjacent to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, which provides specialist paediatric services for the region.
Getting there & getting in touch
- Town / postcode
- Bristol, BS2 8HW
- Switchboard
- 0117 923 0000
- Hours
- Open: 24 hours, 7 days a week
- Run by
- University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
- Service level
- Full A&E (Type 1 emergency department)
On-site services
How this compares locally
There's no recent reading for Bristol Royal Infirmary. Check back shortly, or ring the trust for the current picture.
Not sure A&E is the right door? Read this first →Quick answers for Bristol Royal Infirmary
What's the current wait at Bristol Royal Infirmary?
No live figure is being published for Bristol Royal Infirmary at the moment. It's worth refreshing later, or phoning the hospital before travelling if timing matters to you.
Is the A&E at Bristol Royal Infirmary open right now?
Yes — this A&E never closes. It runs 24 hours a day every day of the year, with no appointment needed; arrivals are triaged and treated in order of clinical urgency.
Would somewhere other than Bristol Royal Infirmary treat me faster?
Quite possibly, if your problem isn't life-threatening. Urgent treatment centres and minor injuries units around Bristol handle sprains, cuts, minor burns and simple fractures with far shorter queues. The nearby-departments panel on this page shows live figures for the closest options, and 111 can book timed slots at some of them.
Where exactly is Bristol Royal Infirmary?
It's in Bristol (BS2 8HW). Pop your own postcode into our distance search to see how far it is from you compared with the other departments nearby.
When does this A&E tend to be calmest?
Across the UK the pattern is consistent: the lightest traffic is between roughly 6am and 9am, and the heaviest crunch lands on Monday mornings, weekday evenings, and Friday and Saturday nights. If your condition can safely wait for a quieter window, an early start usually pays off.
Could you be seen sooner?
Southmead Hospital
4.5 km
The Grange University Hospital
35.9 km
University Hospital of Wales
41.7 km
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
51.2 km
Cheltenham General Hospital
62.0 km
What the labels mean
Worth reading first
Don't wait on a webpage
If someone is seriously unwell — chest pain, stroke signs, heavy bleeding, struggling to breathe — call 999 immediately instead of comparing queues.