General Surgical Wards - Welcome to Ward 12 - Inpatient Surgical Unit

Ward Manager: Melanie Brindle

Ward Sisters: Sobia Haq, Andrea Tam and Cleary Rollason

Ward Telephone Number: 0161 778 2503/0161 778 2279

Welcome to Ward 12 at Fairfield General Hospital

We will do our best to make you and your family/friends as comfortable as possible during their stay with us.

This information booklet will aim to provide you with enough information to answer any questions or concerns you may have. If there are any questions you may have please do not hesitate to ask a member of staff on the ward.

If you have any concerns about the care of your relative/friend is receiving, please speak to the nurse in charge or call the urgent concern helpline by ringing the hospital switchboard on 0161 764 6081 and asking for bleep 1915.

About Ward 12

Ward 12 is a 21 bedded ENT, Urology, Gynaecology and General Surgery Ward.

Bathroom and toilet facilities include equipment for the aid of those with disabilities. There are nurse call alarm lights by each bed.

During your stay

Once you have been allocated your bedside locker and placed your belongings into it, please could you arrange for any bags/ suitcases to be taken home until you are ready for discharge, as space in limited.

We ask that visitors use the hand gel provided at the hand hygiene stations upon entering and leaving the ward. Visitors are also kindly asked not to sit on patient’s bed and armchairs and to use the visitors chairs provided. Unfortunately, due to infection prevention, fresh flowers are not permitted on the ward.

Admission

All patients are first welcomed to the ward at the ward entrance.

Staff will ask how they would like to be addressed e.g. Mr, Mrs or first name. A detailed assessment, in the form of a friendly question and answer session, is then made by a member of the nursing staff.

The treatment/procedure you require will also be explained at this time. You will then seen by your Surgeon and Anesthetist, who will also explain your procedure and consent you for this.

Please ask any questions you wish. Any information about your illness or stay in the hospital will be treated in strict confidence.

If you are taking any medications, it is important to bring these to our attention on admission.

Staff

The ward is divided into teams of nurses and healthcare assistants. You will be informed of the nurse taking care of you on each particular shift. There are a number of nurses specialised in particular areas who share their expertise with the rest of the team nurses.

During your stay, you will be under the care of a named Consultant and their team of doctors who will be responsible for your care and treatment during your stay in hospital. Our ward doctors review patients daily with the multidisciplinary team to discuss the patients treatment and discharge.

We are aware that it is not always possible for your relatives/ friends to attend the ward in order to get an update on how your are. However, we are also limited to the information we can give out over the telephone so please can they bear this in mind when phoning the ward. Although a doctor may not always be available on the ward, a nurse will always be able to give any updates.

As well as doctors and nurses, other professionals may be involved in your care. This includes:

• Physiotherapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Dieticians
• Social Workers
• Podiatrists
• Pharmacists

If you have any questions, the nursing staff are available at any time to discuss this with you. If you would like to see a doctor, please ask the nurse in charge for help in this matter.

#EndPJParalysis - Get Dressed, Get Up, Get Moving!

During your stay in hospital, it is important to remain mobile and independent. Spending just a few days in bed can be harmful to your muscles, causing deconditioning which can impact on your mobility.

We encourage patients to be dressed and mobile whilst in our care as their condition allows. Our hospital participates in the national #EndPJParalysis campaign. We ask that relatives bring the following items to help aid with your care and recovery:

Clothes:

• Night wear
• Suitable slippers(non-slip)
• Dressing gown
• Comfortable day clothes
• Underwear
• Shoes (avoid backless shoes)

Toiletries:

• Hairbrush/comb
• Soap
• Facecloth
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste/denture cleaner
• Towels
• Tissues
• Shaving equipment
• Deodorant

The Hospital also supports and promotes 'John's Campaign'. If you have a relative with dementia, we encourage you to stay with them as often as you wish, even during restricted meal times, so that you are able to help and support them during their stay.

Mealtimes

We operate a protected meal time policy. This is to ensure that our patients have an uninterrupted time when they can eat their food in peace and that nursing staff are on hand to help if required. Mealtimes are at:

• Breakfast – 8:30am - 9.30am
• Lunch – 12 - 1pm
• Evening meal – 5pm - 6pm

Drinks are provided throughout the day as well as with meals

The ward lights are switched off at approximately 23:00, but night lights and bedside lights are available.

Visitors

Visiting is for inpatients only. As this is an operation prep and recovery area, we try to reduce the amount of people coming on and off the ward, in order to limit the risk of infection.

There are only two visitors permitted per one inpatient.

Visiting times are 2pm - 3 pm and 6pm - 7pm. Nurse will up date you regarding visiting if required.

Your relatives can phone the ward anytime for an update on your progress. It’s a good idea to nominate one family member to be the main point of contact. Our ward contact number is 0161 778 2503.

Broadoak restaurant

There is a restauraunt where you are able to buy hot food and refreshments. It is open 7 days a week (except bank holidays). The opening times are:

Breakfast: 8:30am - 10.30am
Lunch: 12 - 2pm

Spiritual Care Team

Chaplains are available from different denominations and faiths and are supported by a team of volunteers. You can see a chaplain at any time and the nursing team can arrange this for you. There is a Christian chapel is available to all who wish to pray or be quiet. There is also a prayer room with a women’s area (which is regularly used for Muslim prayers) and a Shabbos room. These facilities are all open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Teaching Students

Ward 12 is a teaching and learning environment, therefore you may come into contact with Medical Students and Student Nurses. There may also be trainee therapists working on the ward. During your stay in hospital, procedures may be carried out by students and other healthcare professionals, as part of a recognised teaching / development programme. You do not have to take part if you do not want to and your treatment will not be affected in any way. Please let your nurse or doctor know.

General Information

Patients must accept responsibility for any valuables kept in their possession and you will be asked to sign a disclaimer for your property. Any items of value may be deposited in the general hospital safe.

Leaving the hospital

We’ll begin to talk to you about leaving the hospital (being discharged) as soon as possible after your admission so that we can help prepare you.

Once we’ve agreed your discharge date with you, you’ll need to talk to your family, friends or carers to make arrangements for your return home and any help you may need.

On the day, once your doctor has told you that you are able to go home, there are a number of things that need to happen, and it may take some time for all of these to be completed.

To ensure we have beds available for other patients who may need them, we will aim for you to be discharged as soon as it is safe to do so.

Please make sure you take all your belongings with you, as well as any patient information leaflets, medicines and dressings you may need. You should also be given details of who to contact if you have any queries, along with a copy of your discharge summary which will include a list of medicines you need to take at home.

You should arrange for a friend or family member to collect you from the hospital. If your medical condition means that you need to be transported by ambulance your nurse will arrange it for you.

Once you are ready to go home, you may be transferred to the discharge lounge. This is a place where you wait to be collected by your carers, relatives or by an ambulance.

Tell us what you think about your stay

Feedback is of high importance to us and we value the opportunity to hear your thoughts regarding your stay!

To help us improve our service we encourage patients and carers to complete a ‘Friends & Family Test’ survey when you leave our ward. The comments our patients give get reviewed on a monthly basis and are a really valuable way of getting feedback on how we are doing and what we could improve on.

Compliments, concerns and complaints

A positive patient experience is very important to all the staff. We always welcome and encourage feedback whether it is good or bad.

If you have any concerns or complaints regarding your stay on Ward 12, please feel free ask to speak to your nurse or Ward Manager.

If you feel unable to communicate your complaint with ward staff, the trust has the Patient advice and liaison services (PALS) which is a confidential service that provides help, advice and information for patients, families and carers. You can contact PALS by ringing 0161 778 5665. If your issue is not addressed then there is formal complaints service you can access.

Contact Information

Ward 12 – Inpatient Surgical Unit
Fairfield General Hospital Rochdale Old Road
Bury, BL9 7TD
Telephone Number: 0161 778 2503

Hospital Helpline - Fairfield General Hospital
Hospital switch 0161 764 6081 and bleep 1915

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) acts on behalf of service users, families, and carers to negotiate prompt solutions and help bring about changes in the way that services are developed.

As well as providing a confidential advice and support service, PALS will help guide you through the different services available from the NHS.

Telephone: 0161 778 5665
Email: pals@nca.nhs.uk.

Alternatively, you can write to:
PALS Department, The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Unit 7/8 Whitney Court, Southlink Business Park, Hamilton Street, Oldham, OL4 1DB.

Comments and complaints

We want to learn from comments and complaints about our services. If you have any, please speak with a member of staff. Every effort will be made to resolve any concerns and complaining will not cause any difficulties in your care with us.

You can also contact our Complaints Department via post at:
Complaints Department, The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Unit 7/8 Whitney Court, Southlink Business Park, Hamilton Street, Oldham, OL4 1DB.

E-mail: Office.Complaints@nca.nhs.uk
Telephone: 0161 656 1141