Your Hospital Stay

If you are attending for a planned procedure please bring with you a supply of day and night wear. If you are admitted as an emergency or for unplanned care we would advise your friends or family to bring clothing in for you as soon as reasonably possible. We try to encourage our patients to spend time out of bed during the day wearing day clothes where possible and safe to do so.

 

Please also bring a supply of toiletries – although these are also available from the hospital shop.

 

Please bring with you any medicines that you take including any over the counter medicines or complementary medicines.  Please hand these to the staff member caring for you when you come to the hospital. For further information see Hospital Pharmacy page.

Once you no longer need care in hospital, as decided by the health team looking after you, you will be discharged. It is always our priority to discharge people to a safe and appropriate place.

 

A team of dedicated chefs prepare and cook patients’ meals from fresh ingredients in the hospital’s on-site kitchens.  Each day you will be given a menu card from which you can choose your meals. At every meal service you will offered at least 5 different choices from the main menu and there is always a choice of vegetarian, gluten free, low fat and diabetic dishes on the menu card.

 

Meals to suit dietetic, religious or cultural needs are available upon request.  If you require a special diet you may be referred to the dietetics department who will be able to offer further advice.

 

Between meals patients are also offered a choice of snacks such as biscuits and cakes.

Sometimes when patients are poorly or through illness the consistency of food served has to be modified. Patients with swallowing difficulties will be assessed by the Speech and Language Therapy team and recommendations they make will be followed by the ward staff. A modified meal menu is available for those patients with swallowing difficulties 

Food Allergies/Food Intolerance – It is essential that you alert the ward staff if you have any food allergies or food intolerances. For your re-assurance an allergen folder listing the ingredients used to produce your fresh food is available on every ward. If you have food allergies or intolerances then we would recommend that you read the information provided before ordering your meal, please ask the ward staff to provide you with the folder.

We generally do not encourage friends and family to bring food for patients into the hospital from home, as there is a risk from food poisoning if it is not stored correctly during transportation or in the hospital. Sometimes friends and relatives like to bring items such as fresh fruit, biscuits, cake and juices, all of which is okay although it is best if they check with ward staff first, just in case you may be on a special diet whilst in hospital.

 

If your visitor does bring food in to the hospital for you please ensure they ask staff to advise on the best way to store it safely. 

 

Relatives are welcome to bring in their own drink, sandwich or snacks to eat with the patient at meal times as this can make the meal time experience more sociable especially for our older patients.

Please do not bring into hospital with you items that are of significant financial or sentimental value.

 

If you are admitted as an emergency or for unplanned care and have come in with an item of value please make arrangements with family or friends for its safekeeping and let the ward staff know so that items are registered in the ward property book.