If you are being admitted as an inpatient please follow any advice given in letters from the hospital that relates specifically to your admission e.g.

• where to report and at what time, whether you need to bring any samples,
• whether you need to refrain from food and drinks before coming in, and so on.

You will be told the name of your named nurse and the name of the consultant whose care you are under. All staff should wear identification badges and introduce themselves to you.

We suggest you bring the following items to make your time with us as comfortable and easy as possible:

• your admission letter
• casual loose fitting clothes for the day
• hairbrush, comb and shampoo
• toothpaste, toothbrush, denture pot, denture cleaner
• soap, face wash, shower gel, moisturiser and other toiletries
• towels, face cloth, sponge
• deodorant
• shaving equipment
• sanitary care
• all the prescribed medicines you are already taking. This should include prescribed medicines and any medicines you regularly take, which you have bought over the counter in a pharmacy, and any repeat prescriptions.
• a small amount of money for the telephone, newspapers and soft drinks
• hand wipes, tissues or paper handkerchiefs
• if you normally use an aid or appliance please bring this with you
• change of nightwear and underwear, slippers and dressing gown
• No Nail Varnish - it is possible to monitor how well your blood is oxygenated by looking at the colour of your nails. If you are due to have an operation please ensure that you are not wearing nail varnish upon admission to hospital. The wearing of nail varnish is not permitted in theatre and the removal of this can cause unnecessary delays to theatre lists.

A small bedside cabinet is provided for your personal belongings. Please do not bring in large amounts of cash, and do not bring in any jewellery or other valuables.

The hospital cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to your personal property.

Please take especially good care of personal items such as dentures and hearing aids.

If you cannot avoid bringing valuables into hospital, hand them immediately to the ward staff who will issue an official receipt and ensure safe keeping. Cash and jewellery will be immediately deposited into the hospital’s safe, and returned when you leave hospital. No valuables will be kept on the ward.

Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust does not accept responsibility or any liability for cash, valuables or personal property brought onto Trust premises unless they are handed over for safe custody and an official receipt obtained. This receipt MUST be presented upon retrieval of such goods.

Some wards have a traditional open layout. In newer wards, beds are located in bays. Every effort is made to maintain patient privacy and we ensure that patients are cared for in single gender areas.

Leaving the ward
Please tell a member of staff if you leave your ward - even for a short time.

Flowers on the ward
Flowers are not allowed in some wards. Your visitors should check with a member of staff on your ward before bringing in flowers. Potted plants are not permitted.

Food
We would advise against bringing in items of high risk food which include: cooked meat and poultry, eggs, cream cakes, meat products, milk products, or prepared sandwiches. These recommendations are made to protect patients from the dangers of food poisoning. However, your visitors may bring in items of fruit, biscuits etc. Should you feel it necessary for your visitors to bring you additional food items please discuss this with a member of the nursing team before making any arrangements.

Mobile Phones
Please ask staff where mobile phones can be used as they may interfere with the operation of medical equipment. 

Each ward has a pay phone for patient use.

Visitors
All visitors are reminded to use the alcohol hand rub provided when entering and leaving wards. Visitor information can be found in the Visiting Us Section

Gifts
Gifts are welcomed but please bear in mind the following: you may have restrictions on what you can eat or drink. You will be able to check with a member of the ward staff. Alcohol is not permitted. Your visitors may bring in books, magazines, soft drinks etc. You will only have small, non-locking storage available to store your possessions, so valuable gifts are not permitted.

State benefits
If you are in hospital for a certain length of time there may be changes to your state benefit entitlements. Please telephone Welfare Rights Department on 0800 074 9985 for further details.

Medical certificates
If you require Medical Certificates please inform the ward staff who will be able to assist you.

Details of financial help are available to patients and visitors on low incomes who are unable to afford the cost of fares to the hospital. If you require this information please ask the ward clerk who will provide you with a leaflet.

Postal arrangements
Post is delivered to the wards on a daily basis. Please ask your friends and relatives to state your full name and ward clearly on the front of the envelope and their own name and address on the back of the envelope. If you wish to post any letters during your stay, please hand these to a member of the nursing team who will arrange to post them for you.

Every patient has the right to receive high quality care that is safe, effective and respects their privacy and dignity. The hospital is committed to providing every patient with same sex accommodation, because it helps to safeguard their privacy and dignity when they may be at their most vulnerable.

Patients who are admitted to our hospital will only share the room where they sleep with members of the same sex, and same sex toilets and bathrooms will be close to the bed area.

The allocation of these facilities may change to suit the gender mix.

Sharing with members of the opposite sex will only happen by exception based on clinical need (for example where patients need specialist staff and equipment such as in the Intensive Care Unit). These units are mixed sex, however every effort will be made to respect your privacy.

Medical, nursing and other students may ask to be present at your examination or treatment. Staff will check you are happy to be examined by students - if not, you can refuse without giving a reason, and without any adverse effect on your care.

Our staff should provide you with all the information you need. However, if you are unsure about anything, please do not hesitate to ask any member of staff - an important part of everyone's job is to keep you well informed.

All staff should wash their hands before treating or examining you. Please challenge any member of staff if you think they have not done so, or ask to speak to the nurse in charge of the ward.

Moving and handling

Tameside General Hospital staff are required to lift as little as possible, due to the danger of injury. Following an assessment of your needs it may be appropriate to use certain equipment to assist in your moving and handling needs.

All the information we collect about you and your illness will be kept confidential by the health team looking after you. No information about you will be given to anyone else without your permission.

If you are to have an operation or clinical procedure, the doctor will explain the nature and extent of it to you and you will be asked to sign a form stating that you consent to the operation being performed.

Nobody truly enjoys a stay in hospital, but with the Tameside Bedside Entertainment system from Philips, it becomes just that little bit more comfortable for the patient.

3D movable touch screen bedside stations are provided on ceiling or wall mounted arms and are located by 84 beds in the new children’s and surgical ward.

The Trust welcomes the involvement of relatives (or friends) in the care of the patient, where the patient wants this to happen, and the relatives wish to be involved.

Often, relatives can provide information that help our staff greatly in meeting your needs whilst in hospital. As noted above, some relatives may also become involved in assisting during mealtimes, or with other aspects of patient care.

No one is under any obligation to be involved in this way, of course, and our staff will discuss with you the amount of involvement, if any, you wish to have in the care of your relative in hospital, taking due regard of your safety, and that of your relatives.

Visiting times vary from ward to ward, mainly due to protected mealtimes, which aims to avoid all unnecessary interruptions by staff and other visitors whilst patients are eating.

Each ward should display a poster clearly identifying its visiting times. In certain circumstances
visiting may be allowed outside the set times. There will usually be one or more periods each day when visiting will be restricted. However, relatives who wish to be involved in the care of the patient during
mealtimes are welcome on the wards.

If you, as a patient, wish to have your meal in the hospital restaurant, please ask a member of staff. This may not be possible for all patients because of their condition.

If you are hungry or have missed a meal, please inform staff. Snacks are available 24 hours a day.
In addition if you feel that there is a problem with your food please let us know, as we will be happy to speak with the catering department on your behalf.

Your named nurse or a member of the nursing team will help you to prepare for your discharge. You will be provided with any specific instructions regarding your treatment and any drugs that you require as part of your continuing care at home.

Please make certain that no hospital clothing, library books etc, are taken home accidentally. If you do take hospital property home by mistake please return it to the ward.

If you are required to attend an outpatient appointment, the ward clerk will ensure that either a request for an appointment or an actual appointment has been made prior to your discharge from hospital.

The Transfer Service provides information and advice about social care for Tameside residents leaving Tameside Hospital. The Transfer Team includes social workers, nurses, and community care workers. In most cases the ward staff will contact the Team on your behalf after discussing this with you.

All patients and carers are welcome to use these services and can also approach staff if they require extra help and support.

Tameside residents who have difficulty managing daily living tasks and need help and advice should contact:

• Tameside Adult Services,
• Adult Assessment and Customer Care Team,
• Stalybridge Resource Centre,
• Waterloo Road,
• Stalybridge.
• Telephone: 0161 3422400, Fax: 0161 3422460. Minicom: 0161 342 3602.
• Email: AACCT@tameside.gov.uk

After your discharge from hospital a letter will be sent to your GP giving information regarding your stay in hospital and advising of any recommendations for your care at home.

Tameside Hospital NHS Trust is a teaching NHS Trust and our hospital is a training centre for the next generation of doctors, nurses, midwives and healthcare staff.

The student’s status and reason for their presence will be explained to you by a senior doctor or a member of the nursing team and your consent obtained. If you do not wish the medical students to be present during your consultation with your doctor you have the right to refuse. If you do not know who a member of staff is at any time do not hesitate to ask them to explain who they are and what they do.

Tameside Hospital NHS Trust has implemented a Trust wide named nurse standard which states that each patient will have a named nurse who is a registered nurse responsible for the co-ordination of a patient’s care during his/her stay on the ward from admission to discharge or transfer. You will be introduced to your named nurse within 12 hours of admission.

If you wish to speak to your named nurse at any time please ask a member of the nursing team to arrange this for you. If your named nurse is not on duty you can discuss any issues or concerns with a member of the nursing team.

Social Workers are available to help you or your relatives with any personal problems you may be experiencing as a result of your stay in hospital. If you would like to discuss any anxieties or difficulties over benefits, or about your work or family, please ask your named nurse or a member of the nursing team to arrange for you to see a Social Worker who will advise you of a named organisation who can provide more detailed assistance.

We offer care and support but you can choose the level and nature of that support. It is freely available to all, whether you are have a faith or not. We provide spiritual, emotional and religious care and we want you to keep in touch with who you are while you are in hospital.

Members of the Chaplaincy Team are drawn from the main faith communities here:

• Church of England/Anglican
• Free Churches
• Hindu
• Muslim
• Roman Catholic

The Chaplains are employed by the NHS. You can expect to be treated with privacy, dignity and confidentiality by us at all times.