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In Patients

Coronavirus - For the latest information on visiting arrangements, elective operations and what you need to do when attending appointments click here. 

We want to make your stay in hospital as comfortable as possible. We aim to provide a quality of care we would want for ourselves, our family and our friends.

Privacy and dignity

We are committed to the delivery of high quality services, affording our patients the same privacy, dignity, respect and compassion that we would want for ourselves, our family and friends. Find out about patient privacy and dignity at our hospitals.

Preparing for your stay in hospital

A patient information booklet is available by clicking
here for you to read to help you prepare for your stay in hospital.  This information will also be available for you at your bedside if you are staying overnight in one of our hospitals.

What to bring with you

We have provided a list of items that you need to bring with you for your stay in hospital. Find out what to bring with you to hospital.

What to do when you arrive at hospital

Please go straight to the ward/department indicated on your admission letter. If you unsure of how to find the department/ward please ask staff or volunteers at the main reception (main entrance of the hospital).

It is important that you arrive in plenty of time for your appointment. If you are delayed for any reason we ask that you telephone the relevant ward/department direct.

Hand hygiene

All our staff actively promote the 'Clean your hands' campaign as an important way of controlling infection. Alcohol hand gel is available at the end of every patient bed and we encourage patients to ask staff whether they have cleaned their hands. Find out more about infection control at our hospitals.

Dementia care

There are currently 800,000 people diagnosed with dementia in the United Kingdom.  Every day in an acute hospital approximately 60 to 65 percent of inpatients will be suffering with dementia, confusion and/or delirium.

At this Trust, we have a skilled multidisciplinary team who aim to improve the care and experience for both patients and carers. 

We have a number of initiatives in place to raise awareness amongst our staff of the signs and symptoms of dementia so that we can provide the best possible care for our patients. To find out more visit our dementia care page.

Looking after your personal property

We make every effort to ensure your belongings are safe and secure whilst you are in hospital. However, you are advised to bring only essential items into hospital as these are not insured under any hospital policy and will remain your own responsibility if they are lost.

Patient dining

We aim to provide appetizing and nourishing meals and you will generally have several choices from a menu for all your meals. Meal times and menus may vary and details of local ward arrangements will be given to you on the ward.

If you have any special requirements, please tell the ward staff. Sometimes, because of an operation or as part of your treatment, you will not be allowed to eat or drink. Your nurse will explain this to you.

We try to protect meal times to ensure you are undisturbed and given time to eat your meals. 

TV bedside units

With the TV Bedside Units, you have access to a variety of paid and free services directly to your hospital bed.

Free services

• TV from 6am till 12pm on all freeview channels.
• Children’s TV from 7am till 9pm on all freeview channels.
• A selection of radio channels including hospital radio.
• Unlimited 2-minute calls from your bedside to 07 numbers. Unrestricted outbound calls to 01/02/03 numbers. (Please note that external calls to the bedside are charged at a higher rate than a local call.)
• Basic internet access.
• Patient safety video
• GP online prescription services
• The health index
• Physiotherapy breathing exercises video

 Premium entertainment

This includes:

• Movies.
• TV (past 12pm for adults and 9pm for children).
• Audio books.
• TV Box sets.
• Sports through SKY or BT.

There are varying fees for these services depending on types of packages and how many days you are purchasing for. You can buy these services via your credit or debit card directly at the bedside, or by ringing our 24 hour call center from your bedside phone. Simply pick up the phone and press ‘customer care’ on the screen.

A relative/friend can also buy one for you. Simply call 0345 414 1234 and provide them with the patient's name, date of birth, bedside location within the hospital, and the bedside telephone number (starts with 087).

Note that longer day passes are better value. Some longer stay packages are only available through the call center. E.g. TV for one day is £7.90. Compared to TV for seven days being £34.90 which works out to £4.99 per day.

Children’s paid entertainment is cheaper than for adults. For example, TV and children’s Movies for one day is only £5.00.

Hospital radio

The County Hospital Radio can be found on Channel 5. This is your Radio Station and broadcasts 24 hours a day with a wide selection of music, information, local and national news all presented by a small team of local volunteers. If you would like a request please call on our request line 01432 364049.

Hospital at home 

If you are receiving our hospital at home service, the hospital at home team comprises of qualified nurses, support workers, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. We work closely with acute and community hospitals to provide an early supported discharge service, and GPs to prevent hospital admissions. Services include intravenous antibiotics; support calls on a short term basis whilst waiting for the appropriate services; monitoring of conditions; and therapy input to meet any urgent needs. We work closely with district nurses, neighbourhood team therapists, social services  and the hospice at home team.  Our aim is to provide a high quality of care to enable people to live independently in their own home.

Information Hub and signposting for patients, carers and visitors – we’re here to help 

Our Information Hub and signposting service is available for patients, carers and visitors, which is located at Hereford County Hospital, opposite main reception. The Information Hub is run jointly with WVT trained volunteers and patient advice and liaison staff, in partnership with Talk Community.  Our friendly team is on hand at the Hub providing wellbeing information and signposting people to services, groups, and events across the county. Come along and find out more.

Interpreting services

Interpreting services are available on request. Please ask the ward sister or enquire with PALS based at the main reception.

Patient advice – We are here to help

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) provides advice, help and support to patients, families, carers and visitors.

Friends and Family Test

The Friends and Family Test is a simple question that patients are asked about the care they have received.  The test is part of a  way of gathering patient feedback and driving improvement in NHS hospital services across the country. To find out more about the Friends and Family Test click here.