Inpatients MENU Home Patients and visitors Jobs News and events Contact us Our services Our wards About us Home Patients and visitors Inpatients Inpatients If you are admitted to hospital, staying overnight and receiving treatment, you are an inpatient. We will send you a letter to confirm when you will need to arrive for a stay at one of our hospitals. Please follow the instructions in the letter. We have also created a patient information leaflet with helpful advice if you are due to have surgery and how we are taking steps to protect you from coronavirus (COVID-19). You can download the leaflet here. What will you need? You must bring in the following items. Before you leave for the hospital, please check you have: Your admission letter The name and address of your GP Your full postcode Any medication you are currently taking Details of any community services you use, such as social workers or carers What should you bring with you? Comfortable clothing Night clothes Slippers Toiletries, including shaving equipment, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and shampoo Flannel and towel Mobility aids (if needed) What should you avoid bringing with you? Valuables - jewellery, credit cards, large amounts of money Large amounts of food Alcohol and tobacco products Portable televisions or radios Due to limited space, we would ask that you only bring items you really need. Only your doctor or a senior nurse can discharge you once they are happy you are well enough to go home. We aim to discharge you by 12noon on the day you are leaving hospital. A member of the nursing team will give you an estimated discharge date within 24 to 48 hours of your arrival on the ward. Please make a member of your nursing team aware of any housing or other problems that you may have when leaving the hospital as soon as possible, especially if you live on your own or have reduced mobility. Going home It is important that you are discharged as soon as you are medically fit to leave our care, as unnecessarily prolonged stays in hospital can have a negative effect on your health and wellbeing. On the day you leave Before you go home, please make sure you: have arranged your transport home - if you require a taxi please speak to a member of staff, as hospital transport is only available for eligible patients have your discharge letter and medicines and understand how to take them have asked for any certificates you need check if you need a follow-up appointment have your house keys take all your belongings with you when you leave the hospital The discharge lounge In some cases you may be discharged from the ward and transferred to the discharge lounge. This is a comfortable environment for you to wait for transport or for your medication. While there you will be looked after by our friendly nurses until you are ready to go home. You will be provided with a range of refreshments and snacks during your stay. Back to top of page Print this page Email this page Site map Patients and visitors Appointments Get involved Outpatients Inpatients Visiting our hospitals Where to go for help Research and Development (R&D) Carers hospital support and liaison Patient experience team Chaplaincy Inpatient comment: Everyone offered words of such reassurance and kindness. I felt so cared for and the communication with me at all times was fantastic. Princess Alexandra Hospital© 2021 | Freedom of information | Accessibility | Privacy Notice | Sitemap | NHS constitutional rights Powered by VerseOne Group Ltd