Upon arrival at the hospital, please report to the reception area as detailed in your admission letter. Please let reception staff know immediately if you have changed your name, address, telephone number, or your GP.
The receptionist will provide you with directions to the appropriate ward area. In the event that you are moved to a different ward to aid your recovery, a member of the nursing team will explain the circumstances to you and ensure that you are comfortable at all times.
Do you know who is caring for you? If not, please ask them to introduce themselves.We're proud to support the #hellomynameis campaign. It was introduced to make sure that our patients get a more personal and better experience in our hospitals. This means that all staff should introduce themselves to you as they meet you.
Please tell a member of staff if you leave your ward - even for a short time.
When you come into hospital, please bring any documentation that would help us to understand more about you and your needs. This could include a completed hospital passport, getting to know me booklet, about me or any other information you have.
We suggest you bring the following items to make your time with us as comfortable and easy as possible:
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust does not accept responsibility or any liability for cash, valuables or personal property brought onto Trust premises unless they are handed over for safe custody and an official receipt obtained. This receipt MUST be presented upon retrieval of such goods.
A face to face and telephone interpreting services is available in our hospitals, and we are also able to provide written translations. This includes people who use British Sign Language (BSL) or those who require written information in Braille. There are also a number of staff who are able to interpret a variety of languages. If English is not your first language or you need a BSL interpreter, please ask the staff to access this service for you.
You have the right to be involved in all decisions about your care. We have a patient communication book (Hello, how may I help you?) available for patients to complete. This is for you and your relatives to make a note of anything that you’d like the team who are caring for you to answer or address, or for our staff to give you handy information or reminders about your ongoing care and recovery.
There is also a space to write the name of your consultant on the front of the book. If there is not a copy available on the ward, please speak to a member of staff. You can download the document here.
If you are to have an operation or clinical procedure, the doctor will explain the nature and extent of it to you and you will be asked to sign a form stating that you consent to the operation being performed.
Throughout your stay your privacy, dignity, religious and cultural beliefs will be respected. You will be cared for in a single sex bay within a ward except in an emergency or you require high dependency care. These units are mixed sex, however every effort will be made to respect your privacy.
Social Workers are available to help you or your relatives with any personal problems you may be experiencing as a result of your stay in hospital. If you would like to discuss any anxieties or difficulties over benefits, or about your work or family, please ask your named nurse or a member of the nursing team to arrange for you to see a Social Worker who will advise you of a named organisation who can provide more detailed assistance.
University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust is a university teaching NHS Trust and both our hospitals are a training centre for the next generation of doctors, nurses, midwives and healthcare staff.
The student’s status and reason for their presence will be explained to you by a senior doctor or a member of the nursing team and your consent obtained. If you do not wish the medical students to be present during your consultation with your doctor you have the right to refuse. If you do not know who a member of staff is at any time do not hesitate to ask them to explain who they are and what they do.
Our buildings and grounds, including car parks are smoke free. This means that smoking is not permitted anywhere on site. As a hospital Trust we protect our patients, visitors, staff buildings and equipment from the dangers and consequences of second-hand smoke.
NHS Stop Smoking Services are available to help you before, during and after hospital, providing a range of support and medication. Call 024 7696 4760 to speak to an advisor and receive advice to support you. Here is more information about our Stop Smoking Service.
It is possible to monitor how well your blood is oxygenated by looking at the colour of your nails. Therefore, if you are due to have an operation please ensure that you are not wearing nail varnish upon admission to hospital. The wearing of nail varnish is not permitted in theatre and the removal of this can cause unnecessary delays to theatre lists.
We understand that if you are in hospital for any length of time, you might want to have your hair cut. Unfortunately, the hospital does not provide a hairdressing service. This is due to small hair cuttings which could be left on a patient's clothes or body and then transferred into the patient's bed, this could become unhygienic and uncomfortable.
The hospital takes pride in its hygiene and infection control practice and therefore, we suggest that when you know about your discharge date, speak to a relative, carer or friend to help you make an appointment with a local hairdresser in your community when you're back at home.
Back
Visit the UHCW CHarity Website