About your stay with us
Welcome to the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
We will do all we can to make your time with us as comfortable as possible. However, if you do have any questions about your treatment, or any other queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to speak to a member of staff. This could include the Ward Manager, Matron, or your Doctor. They will be pleased to help you.
A member of staff will ask for details about you, including a 24 hour contact name, address and telephone number of a person you would like us to contact in an emergency.
We hope that the information provided will be helpful and reassuring, however if you do have any further questions or comments please refer to our Contact Us page. We welcome any comments and feedback you would like to share with us. Listening to our patients helps us get it right.
There are a huge range of people involved in your care. They will normally be made up of the following:
Consultants
Your Consultant is responsible for your medical care and will lead a team of doctors who may discuss your medical treatment with you. Consultants do not always visit the ward on a daily basis, so it may be another member of the Consultant-Led team. However, if you or your family would like to arrange a meeting with your consultant you can ask a member of ward staff. The time in which ward rounds occur may change on a daily basis according to the Consultant’s weekly timetable.
Nurses
A team of nurses will care for you whilst you are in hospital, and an experienced Ward Sister or Charge Nurse will be responsible for running the ward. There will be one nurse that is responsible for planning and co-ordinating your care; they are known as your Named Nurse.
There will also be a Matron who oversees the running of a number of wards/areas. They will welcome any queries, concerns or comments from you. The nurse teams will hand over any information as they finish a shift. This involves the nurses that have just arrived coming to introduce themselves. The nurses who have been looking after you will then share important information about you and how you have been that day.
Students
Some procedures may be carried out by student doctors, nurses or other healthcare professionals under close supervision, as we are a teaching hospital. Please tell your nurse or doctor on arrival if you do not want students to be involved in your treatment. This will not affect your treatment in any way.
Family and Friends
We are more than happy for your relatives, carers or friends to be involved in personal care such as washing, dressing and meal time assistance. In some instances this kind of support can be vital, so we have introduced a Carers Passport Scheme into the Trust. Please speak to a member of staff for more information.
For advice on how your information is shared, please see our what happens to my information page.
All staff will wear identification badges and should introduce themselves. We will also ask you to wear identity bracelets at all times. Please speak to a member of staff if you have any queries.
Our aim is to ensure that your right to privacy and dignity is respected at all times. We promise that:
- Staff will introduce themselves to you on arrival
- You will be called by a name of your choosing
- Your privacy and modesty will be maintained at all times
- You will be treated courteously; respecting religious and cultural beliefs
- You will be cared for in a clean, safe environment
There will be patients of the opposite sex on the same ward as you, however all of our wards have same-sex accommodation. This means that the bay that you sleep in will only have patients of the same gender as yourself. There are also single-sex toilet and washing facilities that are clearly signposted.
Mixed accommodation may exist in high dependency areas. If you have any concerns please speak to your nurse.
The Trust is a ‘no smoking’ organisation. However, we do have designated external shelters, and smoking is permitted solely in this area. This includes the use of electronic cigarettes.
For advice or support on quitting smoking and information regarding local services, please contact the Hospital Stop Smoking Service (Princess Royal Hospital: 01952 641222 Ext. 4464; Royal Shrewsbury Hospital: 01743 261000 Ext. 4464), or visit our Stop Smoking Page.
The times of breakfast, lunch and evening meal can vary on each ward, routine visiting can be restricted in a some areas during these times unless visitors are assisting a patient with eating their meal. For more information and advice please speak to the Nurse in Charge
If you are unable to feed yourself, our red tray scheme will ensure that you receive assistance straight away.
There is a choice of food for all of your main meals, including a vegetarian option. We will cater for any specific dietary needs you have due to religious or cultural reasons, food allergies and intolerances. Please just let the nursing staff know if you have any requirements.
If you are on a medically prescribed diet please tell a member of the nursing team on arrival. All diets can be catered for so we politely request you do not bring food from home.
If you experience any problems with your meal please speak to a member of staff. Water will be provided on your arrival, and hot drinks are available throughout the day.
If you have any food brought in please let a member of staff know. Patients should not eat hot or chilled food from other sources, as some food can give rise to food poisoning if not kept correctly. We enforce this rule so that we are able to keep you safe when in our care. Food items that are permitted include fresh fruit, drinks, biscuits, cakes without cream and crisps. Patients can ask staff for snacks any time.
There is limited space for personal belongings, so please avoid bringing a large amount of personal belongings. The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust does not accept liability for loss, so please do not bring valuables, electrical equipment or large amounts of money. In an emergency items can be held in the hospital safe and an official receipt will be issued. If you wear jewelry for religious reasons please tell your nurse.
Items that may be useful
- Nightclothes
- Dressing gown
- Non-slip slippers
- Underwear
- Comfortable clothes and footwear for daytime
- Personal toiletries (including soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, towels (hand and bath), shampoo, comb.
- Tissues
- Medication
Further items where appropriate
- Spectacles/personal aids
- Denture pot/Cleaner
- Sanitary Towels
- Razor
- Special equipment such as walking aid
- Shaving cream
- Any items that may help pass the time (e.g books, puzzles, knitting)
- Sufficient money for items such as newspapers
Note: Please inform staff of any electrical items brought in so staff can organise safety checks.
There are several ways that you can get in touch if you need to speak to someone about your care, treatment, or any other aspect of your stay .
On the ward you can ask to speak to your Ward Manager or Nurse in charge. You can also ask your Matron, who will visit regularly however will not always be available. If you would like to arrange a meeting with your Matron you can ask your Nurse or Ward Manager to get in contact with them, or you can get in touch with the Matron directly through the hospital switchboards (Royal Shrewsbury Hospital: 01743 261000; Princess Royal Hospital: 01952 641222).
For information regarding support and advice services within the hospitals, such as the Chaplaincy Service, please visit our Advice and Support Service page.
If you or a family member would like to get in touch with the Trust, or would like advice and support from our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), then please visit our Contact Us page.
We work together throughout your stay in order to plan your discharge. This means we can:
- Assess what needs you may have when you are ready to leave hospital
- Involve any family, friends and carers if you would like
- Involve relevant staff (such as social workers, physiotherapists etc) when needed.
Things to Consider
- Have you arranged a friend or relative to collect you on your planned day of discharge?
- Do you have any special medication needs?
- Have you thought about what you may need sorting out of hospital (for example food and heating)?
- Have you told staff about any access arrangements to your property such as key safe numbers?
- Will you need a sick note writing on your behalf?
What will happen on your day of discharge
We aim for you to leave the ward by 10am on your day of discharge. It is expected that you will make your own travel arrangements, so please organise this with a friend or relative unless you feel you are able to travel alone.
We encourage families and patients to engage with staff in a “going home chat” with the team to discuss your plans for after you have been discharged. If you have any questions or concerns about being discharged, please speak to a member of the ward nursing staff.
Support
For support and advice about Health and Social care you can contact My Choice Telford. Parents and carers can also gain support from PACC Shropshire.
Age UK Home From Hospital Scheme
The Age UK Home from Hospital scheme provides short-term assistance, either on returning home after hospital treatment, or to help you maintain your independence so that you do not need to be admitted to hospital. The service, which is free, can provide a mixture of low level tasks for a period of up to six weeks; including help with shopping, short walks and accompanying you to the doctor’s surgery.
More information about the Home from Hospital Service is available from the Age UK website.
We will create patient passports for those who may need them. These are small documents that help communicate the specific needs you may have as a patient. This will be completed with help from a member of staff at the beginning of your stay.
Learning Disability Passports
Learning Disability Passports are colour coded. The first bit of information, the “red alert” section, includes anything that is vital for doctors to know such as next of kin and medical history. The “amber alert” section involves information about activities that may be important for us to help you with, such as taking medication, or how much support you may need with activities such as personal care and describing pain. The last part of the passport, the “green” section, lists things that you like and dislike – for example what may upset you and activities that may make you happy. We think this is important as it helps us get to know you and keep you safe.
Dementia Patient Passports
For someone with dementia, we understand that moving to an unfamiliar place or meeting new people who contribute to your care can be unsettling. For those patients who have a diagnosis of dementia, we issue a “This is me” passport. This is to enable us to deliver individual and person-centred care that is tailored to the patient’s needs, as well as helping us build a better understanding of who the person really is. The “This is me” passport includes information about your key contacts, how it is best to communicate with you and a little bit of personal history including concerns and routine. We also add other notes such as personal care, medication and mobility.