We will send you a letter before your admission date explaining what you will need to do on the day you are booked to come into hospital.
You should bring:
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nightwear
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slippers
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dressing gown
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toiletries (e.g. soap, flannel, brush, comb, tissues, toothpaste, toothbrush and cleansing wipes)
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any medicines, tablets or inhalers you normally use
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a small amount of change for newspapers, telephone calls, etc. (mobile phones cannot be used in many parts of the hospital as they can interfere with the efficient working of some medical equipment).
There will be a cabinet by your bed where you can keep these things. If you want to bring any valuables with you, your named nurse will arrange for their safekeeping elsewhere on the ward.
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Our nurses will welcome you to the ward and help settle you in. They will ask you to confirm your personal details, such as your name and address, your GP and contact details for your next of kin.
You will need to tell your nurse if you are following a special diet and about any medication you are taking so these can be continued during your stay.
Your doctor will also visit you before starting your treatment. Your doctor will explain your treatment to you. If there is anything that you do not understand, or would like to discuss further, please ask your doctor or nurse.
If you need to have surgery or an anaesthetic, your doctor will explain this too and you will be asked to sign a form to say that you agree to the procedure taking place.
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Accommodation
Most of our wards are arranged in bays of four to eight beds. Male and female accommodation is kept separate.
Your cubicle will have its own curtain, which can be closed if you would like some privacy.
Food
You will be offered three meals a day - breakfast, which is cereal, toast and preserves, tea or coffee and fruit juice; lunch, which is a main meal and a pudding; and supper, which is a selection of soup, special sandwiches and a mixture of yoghurt, milk pudding and fresh fruit.
Each day you will be given a menu card to chose what you would like for lunch and supper. There are several choices, including vegetarian options, 'soft foods' for patients who can find food difficult to chew, high energy choices and diabetic choices. Asian Halal, Ethnic, Vegan and Kosher meals are all available on request.
If you have special dietary requirements, your named nurse will ask a dietician to talk with you. The dietician will work with our kitchen staff to ensure your needs are catered for.
Things to do
The Patient Bedside TV and Phone Service
You will find at most hospital beds that there is a personal TV and Phone for patients to use.
Each bedside TV has over 20 channels to choose from with radio (including hospital radio), and a personal phone which patients can use to make outgoing calls to friends and family.
Lots of the services are FREE and some require payment by either purchasing a Paycard with cash from one of our many vending machines around the hospital, or with credit/debit card either by following the on screen instructions or, if you get stuck, by picking up a bedside phone and chatting with our Customer Care Team.
For those service which need payment, there are loads of different bundles to choose from to suit both a patients length of stay, and pocket!
Every TV has on-screen instructions to show you how to get started. All you need to do is fill in a couple of details so that we can give you your own personal account, and you’re good to go.
If you need any help, just pick up the phone, follow the instructions, and you’ll be connected (FREE) to our friendly Customer Care Team who help you with whatever you need. They are there to help you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The Bedside TV and Phone Service is provided by Hospedia, and if you would like more information please go to www.hospedia.co.uk, or dial 0845 44 1234, or pick up a leaflet from one of our vending machines.
Other things to do
Many wards have a dayroom with books, magazines, a TV, etc.
Our volunteers run a trolley library service and bring a newspaper and confectionary trolley to the ward, should you want to buy them.
You are also welcome to sit in the grounds with your visitors if you wish to. Our hospitals have some quiet gardens for you to enjoy.
East Kent Hospitals is a smoke-free Trust. This means that for the good of the health of our patients, visitors and staff, no smoking is allowed in the hospital grounds or buildings. If you are concerned about not smoking for a length of time, please talk to the nursing staff who can arrange for you to have advice and support from a stop smoking advisor.
Visiting
Each ward has its own visiting hours, which are there to ensure you have time to rest, eat or take part in rehabilitation activities, eg physiotherapy, without being disturbed.
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You will normally be required to make your own arrangements for transport home, unless there are medical reasons why this is not possible.
On your planned discharge day you will be asked to vacate your bed in the morning so we can prepare it for another patient. Each of our hospitals has a discharge lounge so you can wait in comfort for a friend, relative or volunteer driver to collect you if necessary.
We run a Patient Transport Service and volunteer driver service for patients who are unable to make their own way home.
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