Remember to:
- Let relatives or friends know that you will be admitted to hospital, and give them the hospital’s telephone number and ward telephone number (if known)
- Cancel any regular deliveries, such as milk or newspapers
- Cancel any home help, like meals-on-wheels or cleaning
- Arrange for dependent relatives or pets to be cared for
- Dispose of any perishable food
Disability allowance and sickness benefit:
If you are currently receiving a pension or benefit, please bring into hospital your pension number, national insurance number or the number of any other benefit you receive. If you receive disability living allowance, your allowance will only be reduced if you stay in hospital for four weeks or longer.
What you should bring with you:
- Your admission letter and details of next-of-kin, closest friend or relative
- Any medicines that you use (including non-prescription and herbal medicines), and a list of any allergies you may have
- Clothes: two nighties or pyjamas; dressing gown and slippers; daywear (comfortable clothes) and underwear
- Toiletries: toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, shampoo, hairbrush, shaving kit, deodorant, flannel or sponge, box of tissues, earplugs and sanitary products as appropriate
- Money for telephone, television and internet services
- Any walking or hearing aids – spectacles, contact lenses or dentures (please bring cases with your name on and cleaning equipment for these items)
- You may also like to bring: your diary or personal organiser, books, magazines, knitting, puzzles, electronic games (please keep these on silent mode so as not to disturb other patients), pen, paper, stamps, bottled water.
Please don’t bring:
- Towels or bed linen – these are provided by the hospital
- Washing powder – there are no laundry facilities on the wards, so please ask a friend or relative to do any washing for you and bring any extra changes of clothes you need
- Valuables – large amounts of money, jewellery, expensive games, computers or music players
- Anything noisy – please don’t bring your own TV, radio or DVD player
- Alcohol – is strictly not allowed in any of the hospitals and is not available in the hospital cafes and restaurants
