Please bring the items below with you in a small holdall:

• Any medicines you are currently taking including any over the counter or herbal medicine products
• Your copy of the Hospital Passport or This Is Me booklet
• Glasses, hearing aids and any other communication aid you may need.
• Walking stick, zimmer frames or any other walking aid you may need.
• Toiletries you may need which can include sanitary and continence products
• False teeth should be bought in a labelled container
• Comfortable clothing to wear during the day, good fitting non-slip shoes or closed in non-slip slippers.
• Nightwear and dressing gown for wearing at night.
• Magazines and books, mobile phone, a music player and a small amount of change for newspapers or items from the trolley.
• An outfit to wear home with comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes.

Please do not bring:

• Too many items – keep your ward or room clutter free helps keep you and others safe from trips, falls and other hazards.
• Your own bedding or quilts.
• Valuables - we can’t accept responsibility for loss or damage of valuables or personal items, so please try to leave valuable or sentimental items at home.

When you arrive at your ward, you will be greeted by a nurse or ward clerk who will check your details and welcome you to the ward.

You will be given a wristband with your name on it, which you must wear at all times in the hospital for your own safety. If you have any allergies we will also give you a red band.

If you have not done so already, please hand any medicines over to your nurse (including any over-the-counter or herbal medicine products) and use the locker provided by your bedside to store your belongings

Please also give any valuables to staff for safekeeping. Please avoid keeping any large sums of money or valuable items, such as jewellery, in the hospital.

Many of our wards are equipped with a bedside entertainment system, which gives access to telephone, internet, television and radio services. To access these services you can buy a card from one of the machines around the hospital or pay directly by credit card using the bedside system. Charges for this service are set by the provider of the service and not by the hospital. Hospital radio is available for free.

You can bring mobile devices into hospital, but please check with the nurse-in-charge before using them. There are some areas where using mobile devices is not permitted for safety reasons.

Please be considerate of other people and keep any noise from mobile devices to a minimum. Put your mobile phone on silent overnight and do not use it in treatment areas or areas where other people are sleeping.

Wi-Fi is available throughout the QA hospital site.  Please speak to a member of staff on your ward for further details.

As a provider of healthcare, we treat very vulnerable people every single day. We have to make sure we continue to keep these people, and our staff, safe from COVID-19. To keep all of us safe here is what you must do when visiting our sites or staff: 

• Please wear a face covering or face mask when asked to do so, unless you are exempt. 
• Wash your hands or use the gel provided to keep them clean. 
• If you have symptoms of COVID-19, do not come into the hospital unless it is an emergency. 

Thank you for your continued support. 

We understand how important your privacy is, and our priority is to ensure that men and women are cared for separately. This is to help respect your privacy and dignity. When you don’t have your own bathroom, you’ll also find a same-sex bathroom and toilet near to your ward or bedroom

There may be some cases, particularly in emergencies, where we can’t provide single-sex accommodation. This is most likely to happen if you need to be looked after in an emergency or intensive care ward, or a high dependency or observation unit.

We will always try to cater for your religious or cultural needs. Our QA Hospital site has multi-faith rooms and access to the chaplaincy service.

Student doctors, or other clinical staff in training, are sometimes present in our clinics and departments. You may be asked to discuss your condition with students and allow them to examine you. You may also be asked to take part in research. If you do not feel happy about this, please tell a member of staff. You have the right to refuse.

Visitors are welcome to come and see you during your stay. We ask all visitors to contact the ward team to arrange a visit. They will talk you through the restrictions in place and how many visitors are allowed at one time. 

You are may be required to wear a face mask, unless you are exempt. You will be required to clean your hands before and after your visit.

Visiting hours will vary depending on the ward. Please contact the ward directly for more information. We normally ask that visits don’t co-inside during group or individual activities.

We want to make sure that everyone receives the same high standard of care and can access our hospital services. If you have any specific needs, please let your nurse know.

There are accessible toilets throughout our hospital and on individual wards and departments. If you need further support and advice about accessible facilities, please speak to your nurse or contact our patient support services.

If you or your carer have a disability or sensory loss, please speak to your nurse or contact our patient support services team. We can make sure you receive information in an appropriate and accessible format. For example, we can offer:

• printed information in a larger font or an easy read format
• verbal and visual communication support
• personalised communication for people with learning disabilities
• hearing loops across the hospital

If you need an interpreter or signer, please speak to your nurse who will arrange one for you.

Our Admiral Nurse is available to support patients, families and carers suffering with dementia. Admiral Nurses are specialists who are trained to help people with dementia. Please ask a member of staff to contact them if you need their assistance.

All of our hospitals operate a strict no smoking policy. Smoking cigarettes or tobacco products is not allowed on any of the grounds or in any of the buildings run by us. This applies to patients, staff, carers and visitors to Trust premises.

Our goal is to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone we care for and, by making sure that our NHS services are smoke-free, we benefit the health of people who use our services as well as the health of the people who work for us.

People who are admitted to our hospitals have the option to temporarily stop smoking during their stay, or to make a quit attempt with support from a trained member of staff. For both options, we provide nicotine replacement products to help with the cravings for a cigarette, so no-one is forced to experience the effects of nicotine withdrawal. Products such as patches, lozenges, mouth sprays and e-cigarettes are all available and we work with our patients to find the one that works best for them, alongside their existing medication, as part of their care plan.

Once the team looking after you say you are well enough, many patients can safely return to where they live to rest, rather than staying in hospital longer than needed.

If it is decided that you need extra support or care, which does not need to be provided in the hospital, we will make sure this is arranged with your involvement. We will never let anyone leave unless there is a safe place for them to go to.

Don’t be afraid to ask what’s happening – the teams looking after you, know how important it is that we help you get home.

Please make sure you are ready for this by asking someone to bring you in suitable clothes to travel home in and by starting to plan for how you will get home. If you can arrange your own transport this will be quicker. Please ensure you have your keys or key code to get into your property.

Further information can be found in this leaflet. 

On the day of leaving 

We will aim to discharge you in the morning before 11am but this might not always be possible. Your nurse will keep you informed about the plans for your discharge. If you have any concerns or questions, please ask a member of staff.

Discharge lounge: You will usually move to the discharge lounge before you leave hospital. It can take several hours for transport and medications to be organised but you will be well cared for while you wait.

Discharge summary: We will provide a letter that contains details of your hospital admission and medications.

Medication: We will give you back any medication that you brought into hospital and still need. Please check you have received this before you leave. If you have started new medication during your stay in hospital, we will give you a supply to take home. Your GP will then prescribe more if you need it. We will explain what your medication is and how you should take it. We will give you an information sheet and there will also be written instructions on the medication packaging. If you have any questions, please speak to your doctor or nurse, or one of our pharmacists.

Follow up and support: If you need a follow-up appointment or further investigations, we will make arrangements for these before you leave. We will send you a letter to let you know the date of your appointment.