This information is designed to help you prepare for a visit to our hospital. You may also find it useful to refer to the other sections such as General Information. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask a member of staff.

• What to bring into hospital
• Medicines
• Your care team
• Teaching and research
• A patient advocate
• Controlling infection - how you can help
• Contacting the ward
• Leaving hospital
• Patients' rights and standards of care
• Other useful information

What to bring into hospital

• Comfortable clothes, footwear and underwear
• Nightwear and toiletries
• Spectacles and hearing aids, if worn
• Shaving kit or electric razor, where necessary
• Small amount of money for incidentals

Please do not bring large amounts of money or valuable items

When you come into hospital, you can hand over your cash or valuable items to the nurse in charge of your ward for safekeeping. The nurse will give you a receipt. The hospital is not responsible for cash or valuables which have not been handed over for safekeeping.

Unauthorised photography, filming or recording

Medicines

If you have brought medicines with you please hand them to the nurse on admission. This includes all prescribed medicines and also any non-prescribed medicines which have been bought such as pain killers, cough and cold remedies, antihistamines, indigestion remedies, antidiarrhoeals, laxatives, herbal and homeopathic medicines.

Any medicines which you still require will be returned to you on discharge. Please do not take any other medicines while in hospital without first consulting a member of nursing staff.

Your care team

In hospital, your care will be supervised by a senior doctor called a Consultant Psychiatrist, who will be assisted by other doctors. The doctor who provides your care will explain to you any treatment that you will receive. You will also receive care and treatment from other members of the clinical team, such as nurses, therapists and Social Workers.

In some wards staff do not wear a uniform, but every member of staff wears an identity badge with their photograph and job title.

When you are admitted to hospital, you will be allocated a named nurse, who will be the key-worker responsible for organising your care plan. The Ward Manager has overall responsibility for the running of the ward and will be pleased to discuss any general issues that you may wish to raise.

Your clinical team will meet regularly to review your care and treatment. Your clinical team will also regularly assess your progress.

Your doctor or nurse will speak to you regularly about your progress. It may be helpful for your carers to be involved in these discussions and for them to receive information about your treatment.

Teaching and research

Royal Cornhill Hospital trains doctors, nurses and other staff. The hospital is also involved in research which will help to improve the care and treatment of patients with mental health problems. You might be asked to help in this teaching and research. If you do not wish to take part, please tell your consultant or named nurse. This will not affect your care or treatment. Even if you do agree to help, you may change your mind at any time.

A patient advocate

While in hospital, if you wish, you can have an independent person called a Patient Advocate, speak to those responsible for your care and raise any matters on your behalf. This service is free. Leaflets are available in your ward, just ask a nurse.

Controlling infection - how you can help

Everyone has a role to play in helping prevent the spread of Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI). NHS staff are doing a great deal, but we can't overcome these problems without the involvement of patients and the public.

How you can help - as a patient

• Don't be afraid to remind staff to wash or disinfect their hands before and after carrying out any examination or treatment

• Don't remove or touch dressings or wound areas

• Wash your hands after going to the toilet

• Ask staff if you have any questions or concerns about controlling infection

• Remind relatives and friends not to visit you if they have any signs or symptoms of illness, and ask them to read this information

If you have any further concerns please feel free to contact the Infection Control Team on 01224 550998.

Contacting the ward

The ward staff will give you the ward's direct dial number. This will allow your family to contact the ward directly without going through the hospital operator. They can also telephone 0845 456 6000 and ask the hospital operator for the ward and hospital they would like to contact.  Please note that due to confidentiality, staff can only give out limited information over the phone.

Telephone enquiries

We appreciate that your relatives and friends will be anxious to learn of your progress by telephone. However, it would save considerable staff time if calls were limited to immediate members of the family. If possible, one person only should call on behalf of the family.

Leaving hospital

You will be able to leave hospital when your clinical team feel you are well enough. You will be involved in this decision, as will your relative or carer. You will be given written information regarding any follow-up services that have been arranged for you, together with at least seven days' supply of medication, if needed.

An outpatient appointment may be made to see your psychiatrist or another member of the clinical team after leaving hospital.

The hospital doctor will write to your General Practitioner (GP) advising them of the treatment you have received while in hospital and, if appropriate, attach the plans for your continuing treatment. You may be given information about other services available outwith the hospital which you may find helpful.

Patients' rights and standards of care

Please see our information about patients' rights and standards of care.

Other useful information

Please see our additional information that you may find useful