Coming Into Hospital
When you first arrive at hospital to be admitted as an inpatient you will undergo an assessment and the team of staff looking after you will gather information from both you and your family and/or carer. This will help us to decide what the best plan will be for you as an individual.
When being admitted as an inpatient you may want to bring some supplies and the following items with you:
- Your admission letter.
- All your medicines you currently take including inhalers, vitamins and herbal products in their original containers.
- If possible, bring an up to date list of all your medicines and how you take them.
- Toiletries – If possible, please avoid bringing aerosol type deodorants due to the sensitivity of our fire alarm detectors.
- Nightdress or pyjamas – in some wards, patients can wear their own clothes during the day.
- Dressing gown and slippers.
- Your glasses if you need them and their case.
- Something to read or other items to help occupy yourself during your stay.
- Headphones (for patient entertainment systems).
- If you have dentures (false teeth) please bring a container with your name on it to store them in.
- Hearing aid, the case and spare batteries.
- Ear plugs to block out any noise during the night.
- Eye mask, as there are always some lights left on at night.
- Any other items that staff have asked you to bring.
- Details of any hospital or clinic appointments happening during your hospital stay.
- Contact details for your next of kin e.g. mobile number.
- Only bring a small amount of clothing as bedside storage is limited.
- A small amount of money for newspapers or other small items.
What Not to Bring
- Do not bring any alcohol or illegal substances with you, as we do not permit these.
- Do not bring a large amount of money, valuables, jewellery, clothes or other personal belongings with you. The hospital does not accept any responsibility for loss of, or damage to, personal belongings unless handed in to staff for safekeeping.
You may need a small amount of money for telephone calls, newspapers, etc.
Leaving Hospital
Home First
Once you are well enough, the best place for you to recover is in the comfort of your own home or in a more homely setting. By planning your discharge with you, we can get you home sooner. This approach is known as Home First and brings together different types of support to allow you to recover at home and help to maintain your independence. As part of your recovery, you may also be moved to community facility where you will receive more specialist rehabilitation or care to help you fully recover. This will be agreed with you and will form a key element of the plan for your journey home.
The team involved in your care will give you an idea of when you may be able to return home. This is called a Planned Date of Discharge (see the short video clip below for further information). If you have any questions or concerns about your discharge it is important that you speak to member of the team as soon as possible so they can discuss this with you with as part of the plan they develop with you to return home.
Leaving hospital early in the day has several benefits.
- You don’t need to stay in hospital any longer than necessary
- It’s better for your health – particularly if you are older
- Enables you to recover in a more comfortable, familiar environment
- Reduces the risk of getting an infection
- Lets you start to get back to your usual routine
What you, family, friends and carers can do to help get you home:
- Find out your planned date of discharge. You can ask your nurse if you are unsure when this is
- Speak to the team looking after you if they have any questions or concerns about your discharge arrangements
Contact phone numbers for wards can be found here - Arrange transport ahead of time, if required
- Make sure you have the appropriate shoes and clothing to travel
- Check you have access to your home
- Ensure you have essentials back home such as food and your heating is on
Information on our Discharge Lounge
The Discharge Lounge provides a safe and comfortable space for patients who are ready to go home to wait for transport or relatives. The lounge is situated on the ground floor, close to the main reception and is open Monday to Friday 9.00am – 7.00pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10.00am – 5.00pm. It is fully staffed and patients are provided with hot and cold drinks, snacks and soup and sandwich at lunchtime. Where possible, staff will try to transfer you to the discharge lounge before lunchtime so that they can prepare for another patient to be admitted while you wait to go home.
The discharge lounge can be contacted on 01324 566080
For more information about Home First, visit NHS Inform.
The short video below explains more about Planned Date of Discharge.