YOUR GUIDE TO
ADMISSIO N
CO N T E N TS
Introduction 4
Pre-operative assessment appointment 5
Before your procedure 6
Coming into hospital 8
On arrival 10
Following your procedure 10
Arriving home 14
Patient checklist 16
Notes 18
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Introduction Pre-operative assessment appointment
OUR WORLD HAS CHANGED. ABOUT THIS GUIDE Depending on the reason for your admission, you may be asked to
WE HAVE TOO. have a pre-operative assessment before we carry out your procedure.
This guide contains detailed
This is to check your suitability for general anaesthetic and/or sedation,
In the face of extraordinary information about what to
and to assess any pre-existing health conditions you may have. The
challenge, healthcare has been expect before surgery, during
pre-assessment clinic is a fully nurse-led service.
transformed, but our dedication your admission and recovery
to safe, high-quality care has once you leave hospital. We have B E FO R E YO U R A SS E SS M E N T YO UR A SSESSMENT
remained the same. When you also prepared a checklist for
Before your appointment, you will A member of our team will arrange
visit us, you will notice we have you to add key information that
be asked to complete an online an appointment for you. This
put new measures in place will help make your healthcare
questionnaire, which will be sent appointment will either be in person
to support this. From extra journey as smooth as possible.
to you via email. You will need to or over the phone, depending on
infection prevention measures
I N F EC T I O N P R E V E N T I O N provide information about your what is required – this decision is
to the layout of our hospitals,
A N D CO N T RO L general health and medical history. guided by the procedure itself and
everything we do is designed to
Please have a list of all your regular your questionnaire submission. You
deliver exceptional care in the Washing your hands regularly with
medication and any recent hospital may require investigations such as
safest possible environment. water and soap or using a hand
letters before completing the blood tests, an electrocardiogram
sanitiser will protect you and others
To stay up to date with our questionnaire. (ECG) or MRSA screening. Our team
from any germs you come into
safety measures, please visit: will also provide you with important
contact with. In the week before We encourage you to complete your
[Link]. information such as fasting
you are due to come in for surgery, registration as soon as possible for
advice, when you need to stop any
it is a good idea to try to avoid our clinical team to safely prepare
medication you are taking and
contact with people who have for your procedure. This is an
how long you can expect to be in
symptoms of an infection that, opportunity to also prepare any
hospital for.
if you caught it, might make your questions you would like to ask the
surgery and recovery more difficult. pre-assessment nurse.
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Pre-surgery screening
B E FO R E YO U R You should also:
P RO C E D U R E
• Inform your GP you are
It is important to ensure coming into hospital
you are well prepared for
• Arrange for someone to
your procedure physically,
pick you up from hospital
mentally and practically.
or travel with you
Prior to your operation, you
may want to think about: • Arrange for someone to stay
with you for 24 hours after
• Keeping fit by exercising you have been discharged.
indoors and outdoors If this is not possible, please
• Eating a well-balanced diet discuss this with your
preassessment nursing team
• Stopping smoking and
drinking alcohol • Arrange for food and
medicine to be delivered
You can find advice and support
to your house if you are
to help you stop smoking
going to be unable to move
by visiting [Link]
independently after surgery
• Arrange to take time off
work, school or college for
and after the procedure
• If applicable, arrange for
dependents and pets to be
cared for during your stay and
immediate recovery period
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Coming into hospital M A K I N G YO U R STAY A S
CO M F O RTA B L E A S P O SS I B L E
P R E PA R I N G FO R YO U R
P RO C E D U R E
Before you arrive, please let us Before you arrive, please remove
know if we need to be aware of any nail varnish, make up, body
any special requirements. These piercings and any other jewellery
could include use of a wheelchair, including a wedding band, if you
interpretation services, or any have one. Please leave valuables,
restrictions in your diet which may not large amounts of money and large
be accommodated on our menus. or bulky suitcases at home.
If required, we can also ensure W H AT TO B R I N G
important information regarding your
Please make sure you bring
care is available in alternative formats
comfortable, loose-fitting clothes,
including audio, braille and large font.
well-fitting slippers or shoes with non-
FA ST I N G I N ST RU C T I O N S slip soles, toiletries, glasses, dentures
and walking/hearing aids if required.
Please follow the fasting
P E R S O N A L H YG I E N E You will also need to bring any
guidelines that your consultant
To help protect you from developing an infection after surgery, please or nurse will provide you before medicines you are taking, including
follow these personal hygiene instructions before coming into hospital: you arrive at the hospital. inhalers, your steroid card and
warfarin book (if you have these).
• Have a shower or bath the night before and on the morning of For most people, this will involve
your procedure Please have the name and
stopping all food, milk-based and
contact details for your escort
• If you were told by your pre-assessment nurse to use antiseptic wipes, carbonated drinks six hours prior
and next of kin to hand.
after drying with a clean towel please use the wipes on your neck, to your procedure. You should also
chest, arms, back, legs, and between your legs and your buttocks (do stop drinking all fluids two hours Although we have phones and
not use internally), if reachable. Use four wipes the night before and before your procedure. Do not drink televisions in every patient
four wipes the morning of your procedure. Let your body air dry – your alcohol the night before, or smoke bedroom, you may wish to bring
body will feel sticky for a few minutes as the wipes take effect 12 hours before your procedure. a phone and charger with you.
Wi-Fi is available and free of
• If you are having foot or ankle surgery, please use the additional wipes TA K I N G R EG U L A R M E D I C AT I O N
charge throughout the hospital.
on both feet and between the toes on the morning of your operation
Please confirm with your nurse
For women of child-bearing age, exposure to anaesthetic can be whether or not you should continue
harmful to an unborn child. To be certain that you are not pregnant taking your prescribed medication.
before your procedure, a pregnancy test will be carried out. Tablets are not considered to be
food and so, unless instructed
otherwise, you should take any
medications as normal.
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On arrival We are doing everything we can
to minimise the risk of infection
There may be different visiting
arrangements for high-risk
When you arrive at the hospital, please check in at reception. Tell the throughout our hospitals and patients or for sites aligned to
receptionist if any of your personal details, such as your address, contact details, clinics. However, if you develop partner NHS standards. Please
GP or next of kin, have changed and they will be happy to update your file. respiratory symptoms during your liaise with the nurse in charge for
O N T H E DAY O F YO U R P RO C E D U R E stay, you may be required to have current local visitor guidance.
a swab test which identifies if
A nurse will introduce themselves when you arrive on the ward and will advise Visitors must not attend our sites if
you have a respiratory virus that
how long you can expect to wait before going to the operating theatre. they have symptoms of an infection
may be spread to other people.
They will also take your blood pressure, pulse rate and temperature. that might spread to other people,
V I S I T I N G P O L I CY such as respiratory symptoms or
Your consultant will visit you and talk to you about your procedure and ask you
symptoms of an upset stomach.
to sign a consent form giving your permission for the procedure to go ahead. We appreciate the importance
They may also mark your skin with a pen to highlight the operation site. of visiting for you and those
Your anaesthetist will explain the medicines they intend to use to put you visiting you. Our visitor policy is
to sleep, and what pain relief they will give you after your procedure. reviewed with clinical experts and
is subject to change so please
ensure you are familiar with
the most recent guidance.
Following your operation
After your procedure you will wake Once on the ward your nurse will
up in the recovery area of the confirm if you are able to have
operating theatres. A recovery something to eat and drink.
nurse will regularly check your vital
Try to follow these simple steps
signs, including your blood pressure,
to help you readjust after your
and take care of you until you are
operation and keep you safe:
able to be moved to your room.
• Take slow deep breaths if you
If you experience any pain or side
can – this helps prevent chest
effects from the anaesthetic, such
infections after surgery
as feeling sick, dizzy or disorientated,
or if you have a sore throat or • If you are able to, do some
dry mouth, our nurses will be on gentle leg exercises such as
hand and can give you medication rotating and flexing your feet
to relieve these symptoms.
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W H AT YO U W I L L B E G I V E N PAT I E N TS W I T H H E A LT H
O N YO U R D E PA RT U R E I N SU R A N C E H O S P I TA L SU P P O RT S E RV I C E S FO R I N PAT I E N TS
• Discharge summary letter: Please be aware that some We have a wide range of holistic wellbeing services to optimise your
this is a letter giving details of equipment listed may not be included recovery, led by specialists in their fields across all of our hospitals.
your hospital treatment and in your health insurance policy, and These include:
the medicines you need. A you may be charged separately
• Nutrition and dietetics: Alternative therapies:
copy will also be sent to your for these. We recommend that
if needed, our dietitians are includes holistic therapies
GP. Keep it safe and show it to you discuss any policy limitations,
available to help optimise your such as reiki, massage,
those involved in your care. such as whether these items are
nutritional health and wellbeing aromatherapy and reflexology
included in your cover, with your
• Medicines: if necessary, we will for your recovery after surgery to work alongside your existing
insurer prior to your admission.
provide a supply of medicines for medical treatment and care.
• Inpatient physiotherapy:
up to 14 days. The pharmacist or S H A R I N G YO U R F E E D BAC K
we provide a post-surgery • Multi-faith chaplaincy and
nurses on the ward will explain
When you leave hospital, we’ll physiotherapy service, spiritual care service: our
any instructions that you need
ask you to complete a feedback designed to aid the recovery multi-faith team of chaplains
to follow. Further prescriptions
form. We really want to hear of patients with respiratory provide a 24-hour daily service
should be obtained from your GP.
about your experience so we can or mobility problems. to support you during your stay.
• Equipment: you may be given
continually improve our service • Speech and language therapy: • Occupational therapy:
equipment such as walking
and the care that we deliver. We our speech and language our occupational therapists
aids to take and use at home.
appreciate all comments and therapists provide assessment will help you to develop,
Someone may need to take
feedback that we receive. and management for patients maintain or regain the
these home for you separately.
with communication, voice and ability to carry out tasks.
• Supplies: a short-term supply of swallowing problems.
items you will need at home will
be provided, for example stoma
or catheter bags, dressings,
syringes and needles. Further
supplies should be obtained
from your GP or pharmacy.
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Arriving home
T H E F I R ST 24 H O U R S M O N I TO R I N G FO R S I G N S
O F A N I N F EC T I O N
On leaving hospital, do not:
Please contact the hospital ward
• Drive, operate machinery,
(their number can be found
use a cooker, ride a bicycle,
on your discharge paperwork)
sign a legal document
or your consultant for advice
or engage in any activity
if you experience any of the
requiring skill or judgement
following symptoms:
• Take sleeping tablets
• Increased pain or swelling
• Drink alcohol
• A temperature above
37.8 degrees Celsius
• Bleeding in the area
you had surgery
• Difficulty passing urine
In the unlikely event of an emergency,
please visit your nearest emergency
department and remember to take
your discharge letter with you.
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Patient checklist
We have provided a checklist that may be helpful to you in planning and
preparing for your surgery: ☐ If insured, you have provided the following:
• Insurer name
☐ Date of pre-operative assessment:
• Policy number
☐ Date of your procedure: • Authorisation number (this is specific to your treatment and may be
different from any previous authorisation numbers you have received
☐ ou have showered/bathed the night before and the morning of
Y from your insurer)
the procedure ☐ If your treatment is being sponsored by an embassy, an employer or
another third party, you have an authorised letter of guarantee
☐ If required, you have used any special cleaning products requested by your
pre-assessment nurse, such as chlorhexidine wipes for use on your skin
☐ Registered your personal details with us online or over the phone (you
can email us at [Link]@[Link] if you have
any questions)
☐ If you are unable to reach the site of the surgery for cleaning and will
require support from a relative or the nurses on the ward Time of last food / drink before your procedure:
☐ ou have let us know about any special arrangements that we need to put
Y
in place during your admission, such as:
Name and contact details for your escort to accompany you home:
• An interpreter
• A wheelchair or wheelchair access
Name and contact details for your next of kin:
• Any dietary requirements
• Information required in an accessible format,
such as braille, audio or large font
☐ If self-paying, you have paid any necessary deposits or payments in
advance by visiting [Link]/pay or by calling 020 3553 0970
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Notes Notes
We have provided some space to take personal notes you might find helpful in
preparing for your procedure.
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Notes Notes
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Notes Notes
P R I VACY N OT I C E
If you would like to understand how we use and process your personal data, our
Privacy Notice is available on our website: [Link]/privacy
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Connect with us
Our group
The Harley Street Clinic
The Lister Hospital
London Bridge Hospital
The Portland Hospital
The Princess Grace Hospital
The Wellington Hospital
The Wilmslow Hospital
Private Care at Guy’s
HCA UK at University College Hospital
The Christie Private Care
The Harborne Hospital
HCA UK Laboratories
HCA UK Primary Care
Sarah Cannon Research Institute
v5 07/23
