Your stay or appointment

What will happen to you at your arrival to one of our hospital?

  • You will be asked to give details about yourself, including your next of kin, address and contact details.
  • It is important our staff know what medicines you are taking and anything you are allergic to.
  • All medication that you are currently taking should be handed over to the nurse in charge when you come into hospital.
  • Your nurse or doctor will explain what investigations will be carried out and what the different treatments are for your condition as wells as the risks and benefits of each treatment.
  • You will be asked to sign a consent form after you have been given a full explanation of the proposed treatment.

You should be fully satisfied that you have received enough information before going ahead. Please ask any questions — the people in your healthcare team are happy to discuss and explain your treatment.

What should you bring with you?

  • Night clothes
  • Dressing gown
  • Slippers (ones that fit securely so you are less likely to slip)
  • Personal toiletries (soap, toothbrush, face cloths, shampoo, comb, hair brush and talcum powder)
  • Bath and hand towel
  • Soft drinks
  • Reading material
  • Tissues

This may also be useful:

  • spectacles and personal aids
  • denture pot and cleaner
  • sanitary towels or tampons
  • disposable razors
  • shaving cream
  • a small amount of money for newspapers, etc.
  • baby clothes and other items necessary for baby care (disposable nappies, barrier creams, etc.)

Valuables

Please avoid bringing valuables, such as jewellery and large amounts of money, into hospital with you. We cannot accept responsibility or liability for valuables brought onto hospital premises.

Staying in touch with family and friends

Visiting times and contact numbers

Contact details for wards, units and hospitals are available on their dedicated pages. If your family or carer is looking for information about your care a member of staff caring for you will be able to discuss this with your permission as explained in our common sense confidentiality leaflet.

Carers can also find more information about the support we and our partners can offer, such as supports groups and on our carers pages.

The visiting times for all of our hospitals are 2-4pm and 6-8pm, seven days a week, including bank holidays. You do not need to contact the hospital in advance to attend but, if you'd like to, you can contact the hospital directly.

For more information on visiting sites during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit our visiting sites and inpatient wards page.

Mobile phones

In most circumstances we do not allow the use of mobile phones in patient areas.
Our staff can inform you of areas where you can use a mobile phone.

And of course, the use of camera and video is strictly prohibited in patient areas.

Patients and visitors