Guide for inpatients

If you need to come into hospital and stay for treatment, the following information will advise you about what you need to bring with you.

What to bring with you

• any relevant paperwork from your GP or hospital
• medication
• next of kin details
• GP name, address and phone number.

Emergency admission

If you or your relative/friend has been admitted as an emergency these are the items likely to be needed in addition to the above:

• nightdress or pyjamas
• underwear
• dressing gown
• toiletries – including toothbrush/paste, soap, razor/shaving foam, hair brush/comb
• towel
• tissues
• slippers
• hearing aid, glasses or dentures if worn
• book/magazines
• writing material
• small amount of cash for hospital shop/ward newsagent trolley
• house keys if not left with a relative/friend.

What not to bring into hospital

• please do not bring anything of high value or large amounts of money into hospital unless absolutely necessary. If you must bring certain items like pension or cheque books please hand those to your nurse for safekeeping and you will be given an official receipt. 
• alcohol must not be brought into hospital

Visiting times: 1pm – 7pm

Meals

Thame Community Hospital operates a protected meal time policy. This ensures that patients have an uninterrupted time when they can eat their food in peace and that nursing staff are on hand to help feeding, if required. We would ask that visitors refrain from visiting at this time unless they are there to help their loved ones eat.

Meal times are as follows:

• Breakfast: 8am – 8.30am
• Lunch: 12pm – 1pm
• Supper: 5pm – 6pm

Some people may require a special diet, for example, soft or puree food, gluten free diet due to their condition and these needs will be met.

Non-smoking

Please note that we operate a strict non-smoking policy across all our sites. Visit the NHS smoke-free website or the Buckinghamshire smokescape website for more details.

Leaving hospital

Plans for your discharge will be discussed with you and your family on admission to identify what arrangements, if any, need to be made to facilitate this process. When it is decided that you are ready to be discharged a date will be confirmed.

On the day of discharge you should ensure that you are ready to leave your bed by 10am so that it can be made available to another patient.

Transport home

You are responsible for making your own arrangements for getting home unless your healthcare team has advised that hospital transport is required.

Things to remember on going home

Please ensure that:

• you have a supply of any medicines prescribed
• you have been advised about any follow-up outpatient appointments
• you have your house keys and any valuables that you handed over for safekeeping
• the ward has correct details for your GP to forward a discharge summary
• your next of kin is aware that you are leaving hospital.

Further help and support for all patients

If you are unhappy about any aspect of your care, please speak to the nurse in charge, who will try to resolve matters for you there and then.

If you need further help or advice, you can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at your hospital. Your views about our services are important to us. Your experiences will help us to improve existing services and influence our future plans. We welcome your comments.

Wheelchair access: All pedestrian entrances are suitable for wheelchairs. There are disabled toilets in key locations around the hospital.

Sensory impairment: Signers can be arranged to help during your visit. Please speak with the nurse in charge to let us know what help you need.Guide dogs may accompany you during your visit, but please give the clinic staff as much notice as possible so they can accommodate this. Please call the number of your admissions letter.

Disabled parking: parking at all of our hospitals is very limited. We do our best to help disabled patients arriving by car. Please note that parking for people with disabled badges is free for all of our hospitals, either in the allocated bays close to the building or in the regular parking bays elsewhere.