After suspending visiting earlier in the year, we are now able to offer limited visiting to some wards at the discretion of the nurse in-charge.”
Read more on visiting times...
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
After suspending visiting earlier in the year, we are now able to offer limited visiting to some wards at the discretion of the nurse in-charge.”
Read more on visiting times...
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
The Queen Alexandra Hospital is located just on the hill slopes of Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth. It is conveniently situated for both the M27 and A3M.
Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health. We are committed to the active involvement of family members, friends and carers during a hospital stay. Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health.
More information on visiting hospital for an appointment.
If you've had experience of using our services and would like to make a comment then please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Your views are very important to us and we would like to hear where you think improvements are needed or where things have gone so well that you would like to share your thanks or gratitude with the staff involved. When things have not gone so well then you can be sure that we want to hear from you, so please get in touch with PALS.
During your stay in hospital you will meet a number of different members of staff. All members of staff wear name badges, but if you are not sure who someone is or what they do, please feel free to ask them to introduce themselves and explain what they do.
If you have any questions about your treatment, please ask a doctor or a nurse.
There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved with the Trust, from volunteering to attending our public meetings, our Annual General Meeting or our hospital open day which is held every year.
We welcome and value your feedback and use the views you share with us in a number of ways to learn and make improvements as well as sharing best practice. Feedback can be provided in a number of ways.
Date: 10 June 2022
A Portsmouth graphic designer who was made redundant due to the pandemic has found a new career thanks in part to volunteering at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.
Harry Elliott, from Southsea, started volunteering at Queen Alexandra Hospital (QA) in September 2020 after his job as a college graphic designer got put on hold during the pandemic.
He started as a bag drop volunteer before joining our Family Liaison Service as a member of bank staff. The flexibility of the bank role enabled Harry to continue his freelance photography business, helping him to balance his time at the hospital and on his business.
The 39-year-old said: “It’s an incredibly rewarding job. As a Family Liaison Officer (FLO), we’re able to visit patients and provide wellbeing support through video calls, activities, and even simply a chat to cheer them up. It’s wonderful to see the difference we make to patients and, by the time you leave, they have a smile on their face. The FLO visits energise them.”
In the height of Covid, the Family Liaison team were doing back-to-back video calls to ensure patients could stay in touch with their loved ones. From December 2021 to May 2022, the team provided 3,304 phone and video connections for patients and their loved ones.
Harry recently won Employee of the Month after the family of a patient nominated him for the award. The patient was admitted to QA Hospital and remained an in-patient for seven weeks before sadly passing away. Harry regularly visited her during her stay, connecting her with her loved ones and keeping her company.
The patient’s daughter said: “Harry was the constant face of caring reassurance for my dear mum during her lengthy admission to PHU. He allowed us as a family to have FaceTime communication with my mum when covid restrictions meant we were not able to visit in person. We are devastated by her loss but as a family we want to thank Harry for going above and beyond.”
The Employee of the Month award came as a shock to Harry who said: “I was not expecting it, but it was lovely surprise. She will always be a particularly special patient to me. I got to know her a lot during her stay and I visited her on the morning of her death. It meant a lot to be nominated by her family.”
Harry added: “There are so many different opportunities for volunteers at the hospital. I never expected to work in a hospital, but I feel privileged to be a FLO and am lucky to experience this role.
“It doesn’t matter what you do, anyone can become a volunteer,” he said. “You’d be surprised what you get out of it and you will be able to make a massive difference to people’s lives.”
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, find out more here: https://www.porthosp.nhs.uk/get_involved/volunteering.htm
