Acute admissions ward

Your stay on acute admissions ward

We are a short-stay medical ward. We have 57 beds.

If you are coming from the emergency department, it means you need more treatment or observation. If you need to stay in hospital for longer, we may transfer you to another ward or specialty to continue with your care. 

It can be noisy on the ward. We will do our best to minimise noise, especially at night. If you are struggling to sleep, we can offer:

• eye mask
• ear plugs

Please ask a member of the nursing staff.

If you need to call for help while you are on the ward, please use the cord call bell by your bed. Please use your call bell if you need help to get out of bed or if you're not feeling well. If you're unable to use your call bell, we may have someone sit with you or keep your curtains open at all times, to make sure you are safe.

When you leave hospital, we'll give you a discharge letter and anything else you might need. The letter  provides information about how to access your clinical records, results and appointments via our MyChart app.

Visitor information

Visiting hours for the ward are from 2pm to 7pm.

We only allow 2 visitors to visit at the same time. We do not allow children under the age of 16 on the ward. 

In special circumstances we can make exceptions to these rules. This should be discussed with the ward nurse in charge first.

Our visiting adult inpatient wards page has further information about visiting patients.

Our welcome pack

To help make your stay as comfortable as possible, we can give you:

• toiletries
• socks
• towels
• hospital pyjamas

We'll give you a welcome booklet telling you:

• what to expect when you arrive
• what to expect during your stay
• what will happen on the day you are ready to leave hospital

Ward rounds

When you come into hospital, you will be under the care of a consultant and a team of doctors. Your team will see you every morning during their ward rounds, which usually start at 9am. The meeting your ward team page has more information about the general ward routine.

There will be a new team of nurses, health assistants, and students at the start of every nursing shift.

We will carry out vital signs monitoring as well as other assessments throughout the day and night. Other teams may also need to see you, but this might not be on the day you arrive on the ward. We may book review appointments as an outpatient. If you are waiting for a specific team to see you, your team can chase this for you.

If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to a member of the nursing team.

All staff caring for you will introduce themselves and wear an ID badge.

Mealtimes

Meals will be brought to your bedside. Mealtimes are:

• breakfast, 8.30am
• lunch, 12.30pm
• dinner, 5.30pm

You can choose your lunch and dinner each day from a set menu. Your options include:

• hot
• cold
• vegetarian
• desserts
• fruit

We cater for all diets, including Halal, gluten-free, vegan and a puree diet. If you have any dietary needs, please tell ward staff as early as possible during your stay. 

We have a protected mealtime policy between:

• midday and 1pm
• 5.30pm and 6.30pm

This is so you can eat your meals without interruption. Visitors can stay with you if you need their help to eat or drink.

Hot drinks are provided during mealtimes, but you can ask for them at any time. They are free for patients. 

We also provide mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. Our meals page has more information.

Using your mobile phone

The phone signal on the ward can be poor, but free access to the internet is available. The name of our free Wi-Fi service is NHS WIFI. You can use your mobile phone on the ward. Please respect other patients while using it, especially when they are asleep. Please make sure it is kept on silent at all times.

Facilities on the ward

There is a day room for you and your visitors to use. Please keep it clean.

There is a television, radio and phone service at your hospital bed. 

Please respect other patients while watching TV or listening to the radio, especially when they are asleep. Please use headphones. 

Concerns or questions

If you or your relatives have questions or concerns, or if you wish to make a complaint, please ask the nurse in charge to speak to you.

We encourage all our patients to complete feedback surveys before leaving hospital or moving to another ward. We review this on a monthly basis and it helps us improve your experience on our ward.