Handbook for Inpatients Welcome
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Handbook for inpatients Welcome After many years of planning, We want to do everything we our vision for a new Royal can to make your stay in hospital Papworth Hospital on the as pleasant and comfortable as Cambridge Biomedical possible. This booklet gives you Campus is now a reality. information about preparing for your stay, what to expect in The new Royal Papworth terms of your clinical care and Hospital has been designed by how we will help you make our clinicians with patients in arrangements for going home. mind, and we hope you will experience many of the benefi ts If, while you are in hospital, you of our new hospital during your have any questions about stay. Our doctors, nurses and something not covered in this other health professionals now booklet, please feel free to ask have access to brand new, state- a nurse or another member of of-the-art equipment, and we staff for help. have more theatres and catheter If you need any further laboratories in which to carry information before you are out our specialist procedures. due to arrive in hospital, please As a patient, you will benefi t contact our Patient Advice and from having your own en suite Liason Service (PALS) on 01480 bedroom during your stay in 364896/01223 638896 or the hospital. Each ward fl oor will nurse in charge of the ward also have a day room where you indicated on your appointment can relax and enjoy the company letter. They will be happy to of other patients. In your room, help you. you will have access to free With best wishes, Wi-Fi and a wide range of TV and radio channels to make you feel more at home in the hospital. In addition, a range of facilities including a shop, Stephen Posey, Chief Executive restaurant, coffee shop and cash point will be available for you to use during your stay. Preparing to come into hospital operates a policy Royal Papworth Hospital whereby if a caller telephones the switchboard and asks for Your admission letter will you by name, the operators give you specifi c information will confi rm which ward you including the date of your are on. Everyone working in admission and the name of the NHS has a legal duty to the unit or ward on which you keep information about you will be an inpatient. It may confi dential and if you would also include instructions as prefer us not to give out this appropriate, such as asking information, please inform you not to eat or drink, or take a member of staff on certain medicines, before you your arrival. come in. If you do not understand any Wards and visiting of these instructions, please Please fi nd details of visiting phone the number on your times below. We understand appointment letter for advice. how important it is to receive visits from friends and family This handbook provides members during your stay, and general information which will do our best to accommodate we hope you fi nd useful, visits outside of these times. but please also read your To minimise disruption to other admission letter carefully patients, please limit the number as that will give you more of visitors you have at any one specifi c information. time. Please speak to the nurse in charge to check whether Contacting us children under the age of two You can call the hospital will be allowed to visit you. switchboard on 01480 Visitors are asked not to lie or 830541/01223 638000. The sit on the beds and to return all switchboard team will be able spare chairs to their designated to put you through to the ward storage area after use. All or department you need. visitors will be asked to use the In order for relatives and hand hygiene gel located to the carers to contact you, the entrance to each ward. Visiting times on all wards • Night clothes (front opening/ except Critical Care buttoning) 14:00-17:30 each day • Dressing gown 18:30-20:00 each day • Slippers Visiting hours for Critical Care • Hairbrush/comb/shampoo Open visiting except between 14:30-15:30 each day • Toothbrush/toothpaste/denture cleaner Special requirements • Liquid soap (not a bar) If you have any special • Paper tissues requirements, please let us know before you are admitted to • Glasses/contact lenses hospital and remind your nurse • Shaving equipment (any when you arrive on the ward. electrical equipment may need These might include, for to be tested by hospital staff example, accessibility before use) requirements, dietary • Walking stick requirements or the need for translation services. Please also • Hearing aid and batteries mention any known allergies. • Mobile phone and charger For the hearing impaired, a • Ipad or tablet hearing ‘loop’ system operates in the main reception area, • Book outpatients reception and on What not to bring each ward reception. with you Large-print versions of hospital Personal property information booklets (including A bedside locker is available this one) are available on for your personal belongings. request. However, storage space is limited What to bring with you so please only bring the items you will need during your stay. You may wish to use this check-list as a guide: Valuables • Medication Please do not bring in a lot of money or valuables – just a small • Clothes and underwear amount of change that you will These must be shown to your need for newspapers, drinks etc. nurse or doctor when you arrive. Your nurse will arrange for them We regret that the hospital to be stored securely on the cannot be held responsible ward during your stay. for any money or valuables If you have an anticoagulant which are not handed over record book, methotrexate or for safe-keeping. lithium monitoring booklet, please bring this with you. At no A cash point is located on the time during your stay should you ground floor of the hospital, take any medicines (including close to the restaurant. herbal or complementary therapies or food supplements Please do not bring the such as vitamins and minerals) following into hospital not prescribed by, or known • Alcohol about and agreed by, your • Knives hospital doctor. • Towels If you are participating in the ‘Self Administration of • Flannels/face-cloths Medicines’ programme you Medicines will be advised by nursing staff how and when to take your Please bring your regular medicines. Your own medicines medicines with you into will be returned to you on hospital. These should include discharge provided that you are all those prescribed by your still instructed to continue with general practitioner: eye them. Any medicines no longer drops, inhalers, patches, prescribed will be destroyed creams, injections etc, and for your convenience. If you any medicines that you take do not wish to consent to the regularly but purchase from destruction of medication in this your local pharmacy including way then please alert a member any herbal or homeopathic of nursing or pharmacy staff preparations. The medicines at the beginning of your stay. should be in their original The hospital will provide you packaging and it is advisable to with any additional necessary bring in at least a week’s supply. medicines for you to take home on your discharge from hospital. During the course of your During this time you will be admission you may be prescribed kept informed by staff, and various medicines. Occasionally provided with refreshments. it may be necessary to prescribe Some patients are asked to a medicine which does not have come ‘starved’ for a procedure a product licence. Your doctor and in these circumstances will explain why this unlicensed refreshments will not be offered. medicine is being recommended and any possible side-effects. Patient identification If you have any queries or When you are in hospital, you concerns about any aspect of will be required to wear identity your medication, please ask your wristbands at all times. This doctor, nurse or pharmacist. ensures that staff can identify you correctly and give you the Pharmacists visit all inpatient right care. A member of staff wards daily (Monday-Friday). should put wristbands on you Arrival at Royal as soon as you are admitted to Papworth Hospital hospital and you should wear these throughout your stay. On arrival at Royal Papworth If a wristband comes off or is Hospital, please follow the uncomfortable, please ask a instructions in your appointment member of staff to replace it. letter and either go the main reception on the ground floor or If you have crowned, directly to your ward. bridged or loose teeth There are two lifts in the main During certain surgical waiting area on the ground floor operations, there is a slight risk with clear signs about which of damage to crowned teeth, wards are on each floor. dental bridge work or loose Please try to arrive on time. We teeth. If you have crowned will make your admission as teeth, bridge work or loose quick and easy as possible, but teeth please discuss this when delays may occur if others need you see the anaesthetist before to be admitted in an emergency. the operation. When you arrive on the ward, a member of staff will show you to your room. Nail varnish/nail Staff at Royal Papworth extensions Hospital Please remove any nail varnish, On the wards gel nails and false nails before During your stay you will of coming into hospital. course meet various doctors and nurses, but also many other Cancellations staff. You will be under the Royal Papworth Hospital care of a consultant and a team works extremely hard to avoid of doctors.