Current visiting times

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...


Messages for loved ones and keeping in touch

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.

Read more information about messages for loved ones…

Current visiting times

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...


Messages for loved ones and keeping in touch

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.

Read more information about messages for loved ones…

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.

Ready To Go

Last updated: 23 December 2022

Coming into hospital can be a worrying time for you and your loved ones, all of us will do what we can to care for you in a way that makes you feel safe and supported. You can find more information about inpatient stays on our website.

Ensuring patients can get home quickly to their loved ones after their stay in hospital is really important for their care and outcome.It also means that we can prepare the bed space for our next patient who needs our help.

How you can help your loved one get home:

As a friend or relative of someone in hospital, there are a few things you can do to help to get them home quickly:
  • On admission, give the nursing staff contact details of any services which your loved one will need to have rearranged before discharge, for example, carers.
  • Arrange transport home from hospital
  • Make sure they have their medication and dressings, if applicable, before leaving the hospital.
  • Ask about outpatient appointments if relevant, making sure they know where they need to go, for example, a hospital or GP surgery. They will also need to know if they need to make the appointment.
  • Ask for a copy of their discharge letter.
  • Take clothes and shoes to the hospital.

Going home:

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 support or care, which does not need to be provided in the hospital, we will make sure this is arranged with your involvement. 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.

When you are really sick, our hospitals are the place you need to be. But once you are medically stable, you recover much better and faster at home, if you have the right support around you. 

Listen to some helpful tips below from our colleague Sara Courtney, Deputy Chief Nurse for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System:

     

Please take a look at our new patient information leaflet that covers everything you need to know about getting ready to leave the hospital:

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Queen Alexandra Hospital,
Cosham,
Portsmouth,
PO6 3LY

  • 023 9228 6000

© 2023, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust