Inpatient guide
During your stay in our hospital, you and your visitors will be met by a variety of staff members with a wide range of professional, social and cultural backgrounds. We expect our staff to treat you and your relatives and friends with courtesy and consideration.
Here is a suggested checklist:
- Nightwear, underwear, dressing gown and slippers
- Any medicines that you usually take
- Casual, loose fitting clothes (such a tracksuit)
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, denture tablets and container
- Face cloth, soap, and toiletries
- Towel
- Hairbrush or comb
- Shaving foam and razors
- Tissues
- Spectacles, hearing aids and dentures (if worn)
- Books and Magazines
- Cordial
- Biscuits
- Small amount of cash for the hospital shop and phones
- Your front door key (if not left with a relative or neighbour)
- Any electrical equipment brought into the hospital, eg hairdryer must be checked by a hospital electrician before use.
A happy patient?
We hope your stay in hospital will be as pleasant as it possibly can. Please do tell us if you are happy with our service. If you feel there is anything we can do to improve your hospital stay please let us know – we are always willing to listen to your ideas and suggestions. Staff have been asked not to accept personal gifts from patients but if you would like to make a donation to the hospital please ask a member of staff on your ward.
What Not To Bring
Large sums of money or valuables (including mobile phones) - We cannot accept responsibility for their safety. On admission you will be asked to sign a disclaimer form by which you will be accepting full responsibility for your property. Any valuables brought in after admission and not listed on the disclaimer form are also your responsibility. If you have brought any valuables with you into hospital we would advise you to send these homes with relatives. If this is not possible they can be locked in the hospital safe until your discharge. If any valuables are sent home after your admission please inform staff. If you have deposited a large sum of money the accounts department requires 24 hours notice if you want cash returned, otherwise you will receive a cheque. Please note that monies cannot be returned at weekends or Bank Holidays.
Large Items
You only have a small bedside locker in which to keep your belongings. Portable televisions or radios – A patient information system is available on all beds. This encompasses a TV, radio and telephone, which are available with a pre-payment card.
An alarm clock
As this may disturb other patients on the ward.
Your stay in hospital
A day on the ward begins early, as many patients have to receive treatment or medication before any other activity.
Enquiries
The nursing staff on the ward appreciate the need for your relatives to enquire about your well-being, however we would ask that where possible one member of your family is nominated to ring up about you. That person can then inform the rest of the family. All wards in the hospital have direct telephone lines to make it easier for your next of kin to contact the staff looking after you. If your next of kin wishes to speak in person to the doctor in charge of your care, s/he can ask the ward staff to arrange this with your permission.
Leaving hospital
Almost from your first day with us we will be talking to you and your family about arrangements for your care when you go home.
Ward Rounds & Meals
he consultant normally does a ward round, once or twice per week.
The registrar and junior doctors do a ward round daily at approximately 8 am. Medical students might also join the ward round so there might be a number of doctors visiting you.
Meals
Whilst you are in hospital it is important that you eat enough food to help with your recovery. Catering try to make sure there is a wide selection of choices on the menu so that every diet can be catered for. Please tell the nursing staff if you have any special requirements or wish to see a dietitian or a member of the catering staff. If you have any difficulties eating or drinking using the crockery and cutlery provided please contact your nurse in charge, who will try to provide specialist equipment to be made available to help you at mealtimes. You will be given a menu to choose your meals from. Please do ask the nursing staff to help you make your choices if you are at all unsure.
Meals and drinks will be served around the following times:
Breakfast – 7.30 am
Mid-morning drink – 10.15 am
Lunch – 12 noon
Afternoon drink – 2.30 pm
Evening meal – 5.30 pm
Evening drink – 8.30 pm
Discharge procedures
The Trust offers patients the comfort and care of a discharge lounge whilst you are waiting to be collected from hospital by relatives, friends or hospital transport. The discharge lounge has been developed to provide quality care for you and your relatives on the day of discharge. Qualified nurses and assistants are working in the discharge lounge and are there to provide care and support to you with any difficulties they might have.
The lounge is there to provide a pleasant, relaxed environment where you can wait in comfort. Some of the facilities they have on offer include:
- Easy chairs
- Television
- Radio
- Newspapers/magazines
- Refreshments and meals
- We aim to look after you in a pleasant, relaxed environment whilst you wait to be collected by ambulance or your relatives or friends.
At the Calderdale Royal Hospital, you will find the lounge on the lower ground floor. Access is via Lift 4 only. At the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, you will find the lounge on the lower ground floor in the ambulance bay.
After-care and Prescriptions
After you leave hospital your consultant will write to your GP to let them know about your care in hospital. If you need tablets or medicine to continue your treatment at home the ward or pharmacy staff will give these to you before you go. Please make sure you know how to take them before you leave. Your GP will give further instructions if necessary.
Staff Uniform
All the ward staff now wear the same type of uniform, but different grades are identified by their
coloured epaulettes.
Matron – Navy blue uniform
Sister – Dark navy
Staff nurse – Pale blue
Nursing auxiliary/Healthcare assistant – white
Ward clerk – White blouse and navy trousers or skirt
Student Nurse – Light striped tunic
Housekeeper – Lilac tunic and trousers
