We hope that our care for your relative or loved one meets your expectations.  We will respect the rights of our patients and protect their privacy and dignity as an inpatient or during an outpatient appointment.

As a visitor, please do:

• Respect the patient’s confidentially, privacy and dignity
• Treat our staff, patients and visitors politely, and with respect. We will not accept violence, racial, sexual or verbal harassment
• Tell us of any changes to the patients’ personal circumstances that you think we should know about
• Feel free to ask if a member of staff has washed their hands before attending to your relative or loved one
• Not smoke in the buildings or in the grounds of the hospital
• Ask a member of staff before using a mobile phone

Please make sure the patient has the following items:

Please click on the links below for information about:
 

• Car parking and charges
• Directions to our hospitals and site maps
• Ward Visiting Times
• Contact Information
• Outpatient Locations

Raising a Concern or making a complaint

If you have any particular concerns, you should speak to a member of staff who is caring for the patient, or if the matter is unresolved, ask to speak with the nurse manager or modern matron. In many cases your problem will be sorted out immediately.

If you want to talk to someone who is not involved in the care of your relative or loved one, you can ask to talk to someone from our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

You can telephone the team on 01482 623065.
For further information click here

Keeping in Contact

Staying in touch with family and friends

You may want information about your relative or loved one’s care. Please speak to a member of staff caring for your relative or friend, who can discuss this with their permission.

It helps the staff if one person could telephone for news about the patient’s condition and pass the information on to others. A direct dial number is available for most wards.

Mobile Phones

In most circumstances we do not allow the use of mobile phones in patient areas. Our staff can inform you of areas where you can use a mobile phone.

The use of camera and video is strictly prohibited in patient areas.

Bedside Entertainment System

Most wards have a bedside phone and television, provided and managed by Hospedia. You can buy the service before you come into hospital using your credit/debit card and then top it up as you need to. Any money left on your account when you leave hospital can be refunded. Call the Hospedia Customer Care Centre on 0870 212 1234. You can also purchase cards directly from one of the machines on or near your ward.

For further information: www.patientline.co.uk  
Please note that incoming calls to Patientline bedside phones are charged at 49p per minute or 39p off-peak

Pay Phones

You can make calls from one of our public pay phones. Please ask a member of staff for the nearest pay phone. The cost of a call from pay phones within the Trust is as follows:

• Local and National calls cost 40p for the first 20 minutes and 10p for 10 minutes thereafter.
• Calls to mobiles other networks and international destinations may vary.

Leaving Hospital

You may be involved in the discharge arrangements for your relative or loved one.
You could help us and the patient:

• By making arrangements to transport the patient home from hospital as ambulance transport is very limited
   
• Ensuring the patient has all the information they need about their medication and further recovery
   
• By providing information you may be asked for such as details of home circumstances and any arrangements that may need to be made for the patient, for example: nursing care, home adaptations or temporary residential care