Surgical admissions lounge

Overview

The surgical admissions lounge is a waiting area where you prepare on the day of your surgery. This means that you can stay at home the night before.

Before surgery

Your admission letter will confirm what date and time you need to arrive. This could be as early as 7am.

Please arrive at the time stated on your appointment letter. This allows your care team to prepare all patients on time and see you before your operation.

If you are travelling from outside London and worried you will not be able to arrive by 7am, please call your surgical admissions team.

A friend or relative can drop you off but cannot stay and wait with you. There is limited space in the surgical admissions lounge and we need to prioritise the safety, security and dignity of our patients.

If you're staying in hospital overnight after your surgery, please ask a relative or friend to bring the rest of your belongings to the ward when they visit you. Please do not bring any valuables.

What to expect

A nurse or nursing assistant will prepare you for surgery. This includes:

• completing the necessary paperwork
• carrying out clinical observations
• giving you any surgical garments you may need to wear

If you are female or able to become pregnant, and under the age of 55, you will need to take a pregnancy test.

A member of your surgical team and your anaesthetist will explain the surgical procedure and anaesthetic process to you. Both your surgeon and your anaesthetist will be happy to answer any questions you have.

You will be asked to sign a consent form which states that you agree to have the treatment you are having, and you understand what it involves.

We will prepare you for surgery. This will include asking you to change into an operation gown and hospital dressing gown. We'll show you where you can change in private. Your clothes and property will be placed into a named property bag. This will be taken to your ward for you.

When the theatre team are ready for you a member of the team will collect you from the lounge. After the pre-operative checks you'll be walked to the anaesthetic room where you'll meet your anaesthetist.

You may have to wait, depending on your position on the operating list. We know waiting can make patients nervous so we will keep you updated, but please ask a nurse if you are concerned.

After surgery

After surgery, you'll go to a ward or to a theatre discharge lounge.

A nurse or nursing assistant will tell you which ward you'll be staying on, its location and contact telephone numbers. You can contact a relative or friend and let them know just before you go to theatre.

Your belongings will be sent to the discharge area.