Guide for inpatients

If you need to come into hospital and stay for treatment or have an operation the following information should help to tell you about what you will need to bring in 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

• a small amount of cash

• 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 hours
Visiting hours are 2pm-5pm and 7pm-8pm. Buckingham Hospital operates a protected meal time policy. This ensures that patients have an uninterrupted time when they can eat their food to protect their privacy and dignity and that nursing staff are on hand to help feeding, if  required.

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.

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

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). 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 our hospitals.

Sensory impairment: Signers can be arranged to help during your visit. Please call the number on your appointment letter to let us know what help you need. Please give as much notice as possible. 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 on your admissions letter.

Disabled parking: Parking at all of our hospitals is very limited. Although we do our best to help disabled patients arriving by car. There are parking staff at all of our sites who will be able to direct you.