The Wards
Many of the wards provide care for both male and female patients.
However, each cubicle within the wards will be used for male or female patients (this may vary in exceptional circumstances), offering en suite facilities to maintain privacy.
Moving Between Wards
It may be necessary to move you to other wards during your stay in hospital to ensure that beds are available for emergencies.
Every effort will be made to minimise such transfers.
Nutrition
Food and fluid is an important part of your care. Our menus give you a wide choice, including healthy options and therapeutic meals which may be prescribed to meet a medical or special nutritional need.
Help and advice on food choices, eating and drinking will be provided and special equipment/ utensils for eating and drinking are available if required. Where dining areas are available meals will be served there.
If you have any concerns about your nutritional needs please speak to a nurse in the ward to enable any problems to be addressed.
Check the information in your particular ward for meal times.
What You Will Need in Hospital
While you are in hospital you will need:
- Change of night clothes
- Dressing gown
- Slippers
- Toiletries
- Books, magazines
Money and Valuables
You will need only a small amount of change for the telephone, newspapers and so on.
Do not keep large sums of money, jewellery or other valuables with you. The hospital cannot be responsible if you lose any of your belongings.
If you have to keep items of value, please give them to ward staff immediately. They will give you a receipt and keep them safe for you until you ask for them to be returned.
If you do not wish to hand over your valuables for safe keeping, you will be asked to sign a disclaimer form.
Clothes
The bedside lockers are small and so we will ask relatives or friends to take your day and outdoor clothes away until you are ready to leave hospital.
Information staff will ask you for
It would be helpful if you know the following information:
- Name, address and telephone number of your next of kin. If you do not have relatives, please give the details of the person to contact in an emergency.
- Medicines or tablets you were taking before coming into hospital. If your admission was arranged in advance, please bring these with you. Please tell the doctors and nurses if you are allergic to any medicines.