Patient information

When you come into hospital, you may be treated as:

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• An outpatient – you’ll come in for an appointment but you won’t need to be given a bed or stay overnight

• A day case (day patient) – you’ll be admitted and given a room or bed, but you won’t need to stay overnight – this is usually for minor procedures or some diagnostic tests

• An inpatient –you’ll be admitted for treatment and will be staying at least one night

Pre-operative assessment

Sometimes you’ll need to have a pre-assessment appointment before your treatment, at a time convenient for you. Depending on your situation, it can sometimes take place over the phone or on the same day as your treatment.

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During this assessment, we’ll:

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• Discuss your health and medical history to check that you’re suitable for the treatment eg your fitness and how any anaesthetic used may affect you

• Perform any necessary tests, scans or screens depending on what treatment you’re having, eg a scan or swabs to check your risk of infection

• Ask about any medication you’re taking

• Explain your treatment in more detail

• Advise you on your recovery eg what to expect and any arrangements you need to make at home

• Discuss any special needs you have such as disability, or dietary requirements

• Answer any questions

We’ll let you know exactly what will happen in your pre-operative assessment during your initial consultations. You’ll receive an  information pack telling you everything you need to know and you can call us any time if you still have questions.

Outpatients

As an outpatient, you’ll be here for a consultation, test or scan and won’t need to stay overnight. This will often be to see a consultant after a GP referral. We offer a range of outpatient services with consultants who are experts in a wide variety of specialties.

For your appointment, it’s  a good idea to bring:

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• Any medications you’re taking

• Glasses or prescription for ophthalmology appointments

• Notes about your symptoms, condition and any questions you may have

If you’re here for a consultation, your appointment will take place in one of our consulting rooms. Your consultant will discuss your medical history and tests or scans you’ve had before. Or, if you don’t yet have a diagnosis, they might recommend tests and scans to help them assess your condition. If so, your consultant will explain:

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• Why the tests and/or scans are needed

• When they can be performed – you may need to come back another time

• What your healthcare package includes and any additional costs

• When you’ll receive the results

Once you’ve had any necessary tests and scans, your consultant will:

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• Discuss the results with you

• Explain what your results mean

• If appropriate, begin to discuss your treatment options. This may be at another out-patient consultation or over the phone – depending on the situation

What happens next?

After you’ve been diagnosed, your consultant will:

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• Discuss a treatment and recovery plan that’s tailored to your specific needs

• Ask about your lifestyle, your goals and your previous medical history to ensure you get the most appropriate treatment and aftercare plan for you

• Explain the next steps and arrange a follow-up appointment for your treatment to begin

If your treatment involves an operation as an inpatient, you’ll be given advice about preparing for surgery and an information pack to take home with you.

Day case

If you’re a day case or day patient, it means you won’t need to stay overnight but you may be given your own bed or private room for the day. You’ll be coming in for a test or scan, or a minor procedure.

What to bring

You won’t need to pack an overnight bag, but it’s a good idea to bring:

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• Prescriptions of any medications you’re taking

• Glasses or prescription for ophthalmology appointments

• A book, e-reader, mobile or other entertainment to keep you occupied between tests, during treatment (eg chemotherapy) or while you recover (eg after minor surgery)

After your appointment, you may need to rest for a while before going home. If so, you’ll be able to relax in a recovery room and your consultant or nurse will let you know when you can go home.

Before you leave, depending on your circumstances we may give you advice about:

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• Next steps

• Managing any pain

• Looking after your wounds if you’ve had surgery

• Your recovery and how long it’s expected to take

• Things you can do to help your recovery

• When you can get back to your usual activities, such as driving or work

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We may also arrange a follow-up appointment with you at a later date, to check on your progress and if any further treatment, tests or scans are needed.

Inpatients

As an inpatient, you’ll be admitted into a Spire hospital and will be staying at least one night.

We’ll let you know beforehand if there’s anything we suggest you do to prepare for your treatment. For example, we may recommend doing certain exercises or follow a special diet to help with your recovery afterwards.

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For operations performed under general anaesthetic (where you’re asleep) you usually won’t be able to eat or drink anything beforehand. The length of time this will be depends on you and your treatment but is usually around six to eight hours for food and two hours for drink.

This will all be explained to you during your initial consultations.

During your stay

When you come in for your procedure, you’ll have your own private en-suite room which will have a TV, WiFi and plenty of space for visitors.

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You’ll need to bring an overnight bag. We recommend you pack:

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• Comfortable clothing and nightwear

• Underwear and socks

• Dressing gown and slippers

• Toiletries

• Phone

• Books, magazines, e-readers or other entertainment

• Any medications you’re taking

We believe that your friends and family are an important part of your recovery. Your visitors are welcome to visit you anytime during hospital opening hours.

Going home

We ensure you receive as much aftercare as you clinically need. Once your consultant is happy that you’re ready to leave hospital, we’ll make sure you have everything needed to make the best possible recovery while at home. We’ll discuss your personal recovery plan and provide you with advice about:

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• Medications and pain relief

• Help you may need at home

• Driving and returning to work

• Wound care

If you have any questions once you’re home, your healthcare team is available to call should you need them. Some treatments include physiotherapy or follow-up appointments to check that you’re recovering as expected.