North & West Operational Unit Caithness General Hospital Wick Patient’s Handbook Published April 2013 28 1 WELCOME Dear Patient Welcome to Caithness General Hospital (CGH). We understand that admission to hospital, and treatment, can be stressful. However, we will do our very best to make your stay as pleasant as possible. We hope this booklet will help you during your stay in Caithness General Hospital, but if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the Nurse in Charge of your ward, or your Consultant. Best wishes for your stay in hospital. Mr Bob Silverwood Area Manager (North) North & West Operational Unit Highland Health and Social Care Partnership Caithness General Hospital, Wick Tel: (01955) 880228 CAITHNESS GENERAL HOSPITAL aims to provide the highest standards of care and service for you Our aim is to ensure that: You are treated as an individual person, with privacy, dignity and respect You receive clear explanations regarding your diagnosis and treatment Wherever possible you will be given choices and be involved in making decisions about your health Any information you give to our staff will be treated in strictest confidence You can get as much information as you want about your condition, assisted by access to appropriate information held about you in your medical records There are close links between people who provide your care You have information to help you stay as healthy as possible Any comments or complaints you make are treated fairly and quickly. In return—please note that NHS Highland will not tolerate any act of aggression, verbal or physical, directed at any member of staff, be it 2 27 CONTENTS Welcome 2 Confidentiality / Notes for Patients 4 Getting to Hospital / On admission 5 What to bring and not to bring with you 6 Mobile Telephones / Communication Devices / Medicines 7 The Hospital Team / Smoking / Consent to Treatment 8 Enquiries about your progress 9 Hospital Chaplains / Church Services 9 Visitors Information 10/11 Infection Control Information 12 Facilities for parents of children in hospital 13 Overnight accommodation / Dining Room facilities 13 Meals / Hospital Shop / Mail / Television 14 Radio Remedy / League of Friends 15 Gifts and Donations / Fire Precautions / Social Security 16 Medical Records 17 Discharge 18 Quality 19 Patients Council 20 Comments, Compliments and Suggestions / Complaints 20 - 22 Useful addresses 23 - 25 26 3 CONFIDENTIALITY USEFUL ADDRESSES All staff employed by NHS Highland are governed by the Scottish Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS) Government, Department of Health Code of Practice relating to all personal health information. PASS is a new independent service which is part of Scottish Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). The Code of Confidentiality is based on the principles that information about the health and welfare of a patient PASS can assist with: is confidential in respect of the patient and to those providing that Providing you with independent information, advice and support if patient with health care or directly concerned with the social you want to give feedback or comments, or raise concerns or welfare and after care of that patient. complaints, about your NHS care or treatment will only be disclosed in connection with the purposes of health Understanding the NHS Complaints procedure care and social welfare to those who would be unable to provide effective treatment and care without the information. Getting ready for and going to meetings with the NHS will not be disclosed to other persons without the consent of the Writing letters and filling in forms patient except in certain specific circumstances. Understanding your rights and responsibilities as a patient. NOTES FOR PATIENTS Your local Citizens Advice Bureau contact details are: Patients often talk to each other about confidential matters or Thurso 01847 894243 occasionally may overhear a conversation between another patient and a member of staff. In these circumstances, all patients are Wick 01955 605989 requested to observe the privacy of others and not repeat anything to any other person. There are also outreach offices in In the course of your stay it may be necessary to have confidential Bettyhill 01641 521242 talks with medical, nursing or other staff. If you wish to have these talks in private, please inform a member of staff and appropriate Tongue 01847 611392 arrangements will be made. 4 25 USEFUL ADDRESSES GETTING TO HOSPITAL Hospitals Patients normally arrange their own transport to hospital but if you do not feel fit enough to come to hospital by private or public transport Caithness General Hospital, Wick, KW1 5NS Tel: (01955) 605050 please contact Patient Transport Request on 0300 1231236 who may be able to arrange ambulance transport, if you meet the medical Town & County Hospital, Wick, KW1 5NQ Tel: (01955) 880389 criteria for the Ambulance service. Dunbar Hospital, Thurso, KW14 7XE Tel: (01847) 893263 Alternatively you may wish to contact Caithness Rural Transport, telephone 01955 605588 between 9am - 2pm Monday to Friday, Lawson Memorial Hospital, Golspie, KW10 6SS Tel: (01408) 633157 as they operate a dial-a-ride transport service. Charges for this service apply. Migdale Hospital, Bonar Bridge, IV24 3AP Tel: (01863) 766211 Taxis and private cars can set you down at the main entrance to the hospital and parking is available for visitors. National Health NHS 24 Helpline Due to shortage of space we request that cars are not parked in the Freephone 0800 22 44 88 car park for the duration of your stay in hospital. Please note, the Hospital will not accept responsibility for vehicles or belongings left in This provides basic information in the following areas:- the Hospital Grounds. Health Education Information Information on Specific Illnesses/Conditions Patients’ Rights ON ADMISSION TO CAITHNESS GENERAL HOSPITAL Waiting Times Primary Care Services (GP’s, dentists, pharmacists, opticians) You should report to the Receptionist, in the entrance foyer who will Community Services direct you to the ward. Hospital Services GP Fundholding Trusts Care in the Community Medicines Confidentiality - callers are under no obligation to provide information, except when a written reply is asked for. 24 5 WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU USEFUL ADDRESSES On admission to your Ward you will be given a bedside locker of your Rural General Hospitals Manager own in which to keep personal belongings. It should be noted that the Caithness General Hospital bedside locker is not lockable. WICK KW1 5NS Please bring with you: Tel: 01955 880221 Any medicines you are taking (including oral contraception) Chief Executive Nightwear including dressing gown, slippers, toiletries and NHS Highland underwear Assynt House Beechwood Business Park Regularly used equipment (eg walking frame, stick etc) - contact INVERNESS the Nurse-in-Charge if you are in doubt IV2 3BW Tel: (01463) 717123 A small amount of money might be required for shops, newsagent facilities and hospital trolley telephone (see “Shops and Facilities” for more details) Feedback Team NHS Highland Telephone numbers and addresses of relatives or close friends. PO BOX 5713 Inverness IV1 9AQ 01463 705997 Email: nhshighland.feedback @nhs.net WHAT NOT TO BRING WITH YOU The Health Service Commissioner Please do not bring any valuables or large amounts of money. If you 28 Thistle Street cannot avoid bringing valuables they should be handed to the Nurse in EDINBURGH Charge who will ensure that they are placed in safe custody and give EH2 1EN you a receipt. The hospital will not be held responsible for loss of, or Tel: (0131) 225 7465 damage to, your property unless an official receipt is obtained. You must produce the official receipt when you reclaim your property. 6 23 COMMENTS, COMPLIMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS, MOBILE TELEPHONES / COMMUNICATION DEVICES CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS Use of Mobile telephones and communication devices are permitted in 2. A complaint can be submitted either within 6 months of the event designated areas only. Please ask a member of staff for advice on itself or 6 months of the complainant becoming aware of a cause usage. for complaint, provided (normally) that this is not more than 12 months after the event itself. You will receive an acknowledgement of your complaint within 3 working days. TELEPHONES 3. Your complaint will be thoroughly investigated and you will receive a written reply within 20 working days. If the investigation is Trolley telephones (coin operated—10p, 20p, 50p & £1 only) are taking longer than usual, a letter explaining the delay and available in all wards. indicating when the final response should be expected will be sent. 4. A leaflet “making a Complaint about the NHS” is available on the NHS website on www.show.scot.nhs.uk/nhshighland MEDICINES The leaflet is also available in other languages and versions on the web site. Leaflets can also be obtained from the Feedback Team – It is important that you let the hospital staff know about the tablets and see overleaf. medicines you are taking, please take them and your repeat prescription information with you to hospital. It would also be useful if 5. If you need help with making your complaint, the Patient Advice you could obtain from your GP a list of the drugs you are taking and and Support Service (PASS) may be able to assist. any recent infections or inoculations you have had, with dates, as these may have some bearing on your treatment. You must also let See section on PASS - page 25 the Nurse in Charge know if there is anything to which you are known to be allergic, eg Penicillin, certain foods, adhesive dressings. ROSEBANK WING and QUEEN ELIZABETH ASSESSMENT & REHABILITATION UNIT have a policy of using your own medication. A form of consent is signed by yourself and on discharge the Pharmacist issues your prescribed medication (own/new prescription, as appropriate). 22 7 THE HOSPITAL TEAM COMMENTS, COMPLIMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS, CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS MEDICAL STAFF Informal Complaints The Senior Hospital Doctors are known as Consultants.