Welcome to your emergency stay in Colchester General Hospital

Transcription

1 Easy Read Leaflet Welcome to your emergency stay in Colchester General Hospital Colchester General Hospital Turner Road Colchester CO4 5JL Phone: Page 1

2 Introduction We want to give you the best treatment and care while you stay with us and when you go home. You may be worried about being in hospital, and your friends and family may be worried too. This booklet will help you while you stay in hospital. Please ask if you need help to go through it. There is a Learning Disability Nurse who can help you or your supporters. Phone or If you have any worries please talk to a member of our staff who will help you. All our hospital staff wear an identification badge Page 2

3 Contents Page 4 The hospital wards 5 Things you need to have 8 Things not to bring 8 Looking after your things 9 Medicines 10 Allergies and special needs 11 Identification wristbands and NHS number 12 Smoking, mobile phones laundry TV and Internet 13 Food and drink 14 Trolley services and restaurant 15 Cashpoint machine and shops 16 Visitors 17 Doctors, nurses and therapists 18 Infection control and consent to treatment 19 Training staff and information about you 20 Sharing of information, religion and spiritual care 21 Leaving hospital and going home 22 Concerns or complaints Page 3

4 The hospital wards Most hospital wards have about 30 beds. The wards have small areas which each have 4 or 6 beds. These are called bays They are single sex bays which mean separate areas for men and women. If you do have to stay in a bay with both men and women the first night we will move you to a single bay the next day. Men and women are treated in the same area in the Emergency Assessment Unit and in the Coronary Care Unit. Men and women are treated in the same area in the Emergency Assessment Unit and Coronary Care Unit. Please speak to a nurse on your ward if you need any large pieces of equipment, like a wheelchair, in hospital with you. Page 4

5 Things you need to have We can give you nightwear and some toiletries for your first night. Please ask your family, friends or staff to bring these in for you: Page 5

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8 Things not to bring Please ask your family not to bring these things in for you: x Jewellery Large amounts of money Large suitcases Electrical things that plug in Looking after your things You will have a locker next to your bed for your things. Please remember there is only a small amount of space in there. Let us know if you have valuable things like jewellery or a lot of money with you. You can give them to us to keep safe. We will give you a receipt. Please do not wrap valuables in a tissue or hospital pyjamas. Page 8

9 Medication Please ask your family, friends or staff to bring all your medication to hospital for you. This includes: Pills, capsules, inhalers, eye drops, medicine, creams, sprays, dressings, and things like a dosette box. You can keep your medication in the locker by your bed which will be locked. We need an up to date list of your medication. This could be your own list, a prescription from your GP (doctor) or your hospital medication record card. The doctor needs to know what drugs you are taking before they can give you any new drugs. Taking your medicine A nurse can give you your medication when you need it. You can choose to take your own medication while you are in hospital as you would at home. We will talk to you about this. Page 9

10 Allergies We need to know if you have any allergies. People can be allergic to things like: Foods like peanuts Medicines like penicillin Other things like latex gloves, dust or plasters. Special needs Please let us know if you need help with things like: walking and getting around communicating and understanding information your hearing your sight We will help you be as independent as you are at home. Hospital Passport You and your supporters can fill in a Hospital passport. This tells hospital staff about how you communicate and what support you need. Ask a member of hospital staff. Page 10

11 Identification wristbands You need to wear a wristband in hospital. This has all the information we need to know about you. It is important you wear this all the time. If you have any allergies you will need to wear a red wristband. Your NHS Number When you come to hospital we will ask for your NHS number if you know it. We also need to know things like your address so we can keep our records up to date. We need a phone number for a family member, close friend or staff member so we can contact them. If you want to be treated as a private patient you should speak to your consultant on admission. If you are visiting the United Kingdom or have been living outside the UK for more than three months you may have to pay for hospital treatment. Please speak to a member of staff for more information. Page 11

12 Smoking Smoking is not allowed in the hospital. There are four smoking places outside the hospital. If you want to give up smoking, please tell us and we will help. Mobile phones Mobile phones are not allowed in some areas of the hospital. Please look out for the signs. Laundry Please ask your family, friends or staff to make sure you have enough clean clothes for daytime and night-time. Radio, TV and Internet There is a television, radio, telephone and internet service at every bed. This is called Hospedia. We will tell you about this and how much it costs. Page 12

13 Food and drink You will have breakfast, lunch and dinner each day unless your treatment does not allow this. Breakfast is at 8.30am Lunch time is 12.30pm to 1.30pm You can choose your meals the day before from a menu. If you are not happy with your choice we may be able to give you something else. Dinner time is 5.30pm to 6.30pm You can buy snacks to eat and drink at other times. Page 13

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21 Leaving hospital We will tell your supporters as soon as possible when you will be going home from hospital. We will arrange any help that you need at home. We will make sure you have medicines to take home. We will tell your GP what treatment you have had. We have an Easy Read leaflet about leaving hospital which we will give you when you are going home. Page 21

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23 Images and diagrams purchased from Clear Communication People Ltd Leaflet number ER1n1 Created March 2011 Reviewed September 2015 Next review September 2017 Page 23