Staying in our hospitals (inpatients)

This page contains information about attending our hospitals as an inpatient.

You’re classed as an inpatient if you need to stay in hospital for one night or more for tests, medical treatment or surgery.

We understand having to stay in hospital can be a stressful and worrying time for you and your relatives or carers. We will endeavour to make your hospital stay as comfortable and stress free as possible.

Queries or concerns

If you have any concerns during your stay regarding your treatment or care, please ask to speak to one of the sisters or the matron as soon as possible so that we can deal with your concern quickly.

If you would like to speak to a doctor about your treatment and care, please let us know and we will arrange this through one of the nurses.

Doctors are usually available to talk to relatives or carers Monday to Friday until 5pm. However, during busy periods you may be asked to make an appointment. At the weekends, evenings and nights it is not always possible to speak to the doctor, except in emergencies.

On some wards, sisters have a scheduled time to support patients, relatives and carers, please ask staff on the ward for details.

Please note, we are unable to give diagnosis or personal information over the phone. This is due to the NHS policy on confidentiality.

You may see lots of different staff members during your stay on a ward.

View our guide to help you understand the different uniforms.

Some staff do not wear uniforms, for example pharmacists, dietitians or social workers.

During your stay in hospital, good hand hygiene from patients and visitors is actively encouraged. It’s important the hand sanitiser by the ward entrance is used by everyone prior to entering and when leaving the ward.

When staff are seeing a patient, they are required to clean their hands with sanitiser before the consultation begins. The basins can also be used to clean hands and are for patients, staff and visitors to use for hand hygiene purposes - these are not to be used for disposal of drinks or brushing teeth.

We encourage patients to wash their hands with soap and water after using the toilet and use sanitiser or hand wipes before touching devices or eating. Hand wipes are available with each meal and patients can be provided with their own pack of hand wipes for their hospital stay, please talk to the nurse looking after you.

We maintain single sex bays in our wards. In emergency areas and some assessment areas, we may mix sexes but we will always maintain your privacy and dignity.

For information about visiting, please visit our Visiting out hospitals webpage.

Meals are provided three times a day, generally at the following times:

Breakfast: 7am-8am
Lunch: 12pm-1pm
Supper: 5pm-6pm

You will be given a menu in the morning to order your evening meal for the day and your lunch for the following day.

If you have any special dietary, cultural or religious food requirements, please let the staff know.

Hot drinks are served at breakfast, mid-morning, afternoon and early evening.

In some areas, snack boxes are available to patients during the day and evening. Please ask a member of staff for details.

Find out more about other food and drink options available on our individual hospitals webpages.

To make your stay in hospital more comfortable, please consider bringing personal items such as toiletries, slippers (with non-slip soles), a dressing gown and a change of comfortable loose-fitting clothes in with you. If you have arrived without personal items ask a friend, relative or carer to bring them in for you.

When moving around the ward and the hospital, you should wear well-fitting slippers. Call a nurse if you need help to move around.

Ear plugs are available for all patients to help get a good night’s sleep. Please ask a member of staff should you require these.

We encourage you not to bring in any unnecessary valuable items, but appreciate many of our patients may wish to have their mobile phones or iPads with them.

Please mention these items to a member of staff to record on our system. Items can be handed in for safe keeping until you have been discharged.

Please arrange for a relative, friend or carer to take anything of value home if you don’t need it.

Please note, the Trust does not accept responsibility for any loss or damage to patients’ belongings bought into the hospital that have not been handed in for safe keeping. This applies throughout your stay, we have a patients property policy which is designed to protect the interests of both our patients and the Trust during your stay.

Patients may use mobile phones, but we’d appreciate if you would keep them on silent mode during your stay and use them considerately so as not to disturb other patients.

Concessionary parking is available to patients, relatives and carers who attend the hospital more than once a day or twice a week.

Visit our parking charges and concessions webpage.

For full information on the spiritual and pastoral care available, visit our Spiritual and pastoral care webpage.

We’ll let you know once your doctor has said you’re ready to go home and talk through anything you need to consider, including arranging for any medication to be prepared.

We are not generally able to provide transport and ask for you to arrange a relative, carer or friend to collect you. Should you not have anyone to take you home, please speak to a member of staff.

Remember to take all of your valuables and belongings home with you.

When you are ready to go home, you’ll be taken to the patient lounge while you wait to be collected. This is a warm and comfortable room next to the main reception. It has a television and magazines and meals, snacks and refreshments will also be available while you wait.

View a leaflet from Hertfordshire County Council with information about adult care services and support available to patients after a stay in hospital.