We take all care to make sure that your stay in hospital is as uncomplicated as possible, but you can help:

Questions

If you have any questions about your care or treatment, please ask a doctor / nurse. You may find it helpful to have a friend or relative with you. If you are not sure about any answers, please ask the doctor / nurse to explain further.

Medicines

Remember to take all your medicines into hospital with you. Tell us if you have any allergies to medications. If your medicine looks different to what you expected or you don't know why you're taking them, please ask us why.  More information about medicines.

Results

Ask us when and from whom you will get the results of your test or procedure. Also ask if your results will be sent out to your home address, given out over the telephone, or discussed in person with your doctor. If you don't receive your results when you expected, please call to check why. When you get your results, ask what they will mean for your future care.

Operations or examinations

If you are to have an operation / examination, make sure that you know what it is, why you are having it, what happens afterwards and how long your recovery will take. Before an operation / examination, remember to tell us about any medicines you are taking, any allergies, difficulties you've had with an anaesthetic and any health problems.  Information for patients who require an anaesthetic.

Checklist for you or your carer / relative to help us

• Think about / write down any questions that you would like to ask the nurse or the doctor.
  
  
• Look out all your medicines so that you can take them into hospital with you.
  
  
• Think about any allergies that you have and let the nurse or doctor know about all of these.
  
  
• If you are unsure, ask the nurse or doctor how you will be made aware of the results of any tests / procedures that you may have.
  
  
• If you having an operation / examination and you are unsure why you are having this or what will happen, please ask the nurse or doctor.

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