Accommodation, Travel and Arrival

It is usually possible for medical students and international fellow to arrange accommodation at one of the three large hospital sites in Leicester: Glenfield, Leicester General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary.

There is a charge of several hundred pounds a month for this accommodation, but it is much cheaper than most rented flats and short term rents are available in the hospitals. Short term rents can be difficult to arrange in private rented accommodation. The hospital accommodation is definitely not luxury accommodation but it should be safe and clean.

The flats are often shared with other healthcare professionals or students, giving you a ready made peer group.

At Glenfield Hospital, the houses have 6 single rooms, 3 WCs and 2 shower rooms. Please contact the accommodation office on 0116 225 5388 or jane.stevens@uhl-tr.nhs.uk. Glenfield is in a leafy suburb in the West of Leicester, about 5 miles from Arnold Lodge. A car is useful, or we can lend you our bicycle (really!)

Glenfield Hospital’s accommodation is off Glenfrith Close, Leicester LE3 9QQ. Map:

Leicester General Hospital is closer to Arnold Lodge and to Leicester city centre. Please contact Mrs Elizabeth Hale on 0116 258 4249 or elizabeth.d.hale@uhl-tr.nhs.uk.

The third option is Leicester Royal Infirmary, in the centre of Leicester – email residential.accommodation@uhl-tr.nhs.uk.

Since 2017, increasing numbers of visitors are using Airbnb to book accommodation. Several International Fellows have come with families and stayed in and around Leicester. We also have some medical students who have come with girlfriend/boyfriend and stayed in an Airbnb. It sounds like a more expensive option, but can be much cheaper if you book for a whole month rather than individual days/weeks. It may be worth exploring as an option. Use this link for £25 off your trip if you’re new to Airbnb.

The only place we’ve had a really bad report about is “Liberty Place”, run by Liberty Living. We would advise you to avoid this place altogether or proceed with care!

It is essential to proactively follow up and confirm any requests made by phone and/or email. Make certain you actually have accommodation waiting for you!

Travel

If you are coming from overseas, please allow plenty of time on your trip over to see the sights. It is more important that you see Dubai, Shanghai, Paris, etc. when you change planes than it is for you to cram in an extra day or two at Arnold Lodge. There is s much more to an elective or an International Fellowship than what goes on in the hospital. This should be a cultural experience that enriches your life. Take time on your way here and back, plan long weekends in London, Paris or elsewhere. Take some time to catch your breath in this brief respite from your studies or work.

London is an hour from Leicester by train (book train tickets in advance for HUGE savings)

Arrival

Most visitors start on a Monday. On your first day, plan to arrive at Arnold Lodge at about 8.30am. Let Rebecca in reception know that you have arrived and we will come and welcome you. This allows time to complete the ID checks and have a discussion before the meetings which start at 9am.