Leamington Spa Hospital

We believe that patients should be cared for in an environment that actively respects individual beliefs and attitudes and protects their modesty and dignity.

If you have any concerns or questions about privacy and dignity, please contact a member of the ward staff in the first instance. Alternatively you can contact one of the Matron Team, PALs or the Patient Experience team.

If you are coming to one of our hospitals for an overnight stay or longer, there are many things you will need to remember to pack. This will include clothes, toiletries and other items for relaxing and passing the time.

If you are bringing in items of high value, lockable safes are available on each ward. Please speak to the Ward Manager or Nurse in charge to use one. Please note you will need to provide a padlock.

Patients can use the free Wi-Fi connecting to the ‘NHS Wi-Fi’. Patients connecting to this will be asked to register using their email address.

We are committed to the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections. The Trust's Infection Prevention and Control Team are responsible for developing and implementing a strategy for the prevention and control of infection in order to protect patients, visitors and staff.

If you have any issues related to infection prevention and control and would like to talk to a member of the Infection Prevention and Control Team you can call:

Tel: +44(0)1926 495321 Ext 4190 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)

Eating well helps you to recover, so we want you to benefit as much as possible from the foods that you eat.

Meals are served three times a day and brought to your bedside, or served in a communal dining setting. The menu booklet is held at the nurses station and a member of the team will visit you each day for you to choose your food. The menus provide a choice of meals based on meeting your nutritional needs and providing healthy choices and always include a vegetarian option.

A range of special diets including modified textures for patients that have swallowing difficulties are also available. If you have special dietary or specific religious needs, for example halal or kosher food, there are specific menus.

The Trust operates a protected mealtime policy. Protected meal times are a designated quiet time on the ward where patients who are eating are permitted to do so without interruptions from Doctors, nurses or any other staff. You should also, where possible, not be taken for any tests during mealtimes. A relative, carer or close friend may visit you at mealtimes to assist you with eating and drinking, please liaise with your nurse in charge to arrange this. If however you have to visit another hospital for tests, or are not on the ward at a mealtime, the ward staff will offer you an alternative meal such as a sandwich, piece of fruit, yogurt, juice drink and perhaps a slice of cake or something similar.

We are sure you are aware of the dangers that can result from eating incorrectly stored or cooked foods. Please assist us by not bringing in the following foods; cooked meat and poultry, Fish and shell fish, cream cakes, milk and dairy products and prepared sandwiches. Any food that is bought in must be in a sealed container and labelled with the patients name and dated on arrival. Chilled food can only be stored for 24 hours. Thank you.

You will receive a letter from the Trust giving you instructions about admission to a ward. This will include all essential details you will need to know.

If you are not able to keep your appointment for any reason, please telephone the hospital and let them know as soon as possible. Please also ring your ward before leaving home to ensure your bed is still available. Occasionally the hospital may have so many emergency admissions that some patients might have their treatment delayed or rescheduled. The Trust does its utmost to avoid this situation.

On your admission you will have been asked questions about your health and home situation. When a treatment plan has been agreed we are able to advise how long you are likely to be in hospital. Subject to your recovery, your discharge date may be reviewed.

Each ward has a nominated Discharge Co-ordinator and fairly early on in your hospital stay discussion will take place with the healthcare team, you and your carers, about your discharge. This is essential so that all the necessary help and care can be put in place in good time before you are ready to go home.

Going home you should consider:

• Do you have a key or someone at home to let you in?
• Do your friends and family know you are going home?
• Do you have clothes, shoes and coat, to go home in?
• Will there be enough food and drink in the house?
• Will your accommodation be warm enough?
• Have you arranged your transport home

Radio Warneford provides an award-winning radio service for patients and visitors at Warwick Hospital. The station broadcasts a wide selection of programmes 24 hours a day via our free patient Wi-Fi service.

Find out what's on and how to listen.

Patients whilst in the hospital are restricted to using small electrical items which are powered either by batteries, or a low voltage plug adaptor, or an inline charging adaptor which has an output of less than 25 volts (the voltage is usually shown on the label attached to the adaptor casing).

If you are unsure about the suitability of an adaptor or the equipment you have brought in, then you should speak to a member of staff. It may be necessary for the member of staff to contact the on-site electrician for advice. In this case, the equipment is not to be used until it has been checked by the electrician. This could take up to 12 hours.

The equipment, its in-line adaptor and its associated mains lead and plug must be visually in good condition and be inspected for damage by the ward staff before being used on Trust premises.

Any damaged equipment, adaptors, plugs, mains leads or in-line adaptors will be immediately withdrawn from use and if necessary retained by staff until the item is replaced or repaired by the patient carer.

Items which patients may bring in and use on Hospital Premises

Any electrical appliance powered either by batteries, a low voltage plug adaptor, or an inline charging adaptor which has an output of less than 25V such as:

• Tablet computers
• Personal MP3/music/video/photo players (with earphones attached)
• Hand held televisions (with earphones attached)
• Small personal DVD players (with earphones attached)
• Personal CD players or radios (with earphones attached)
• Mobile phone chargers
• Patient connected electrical medical devices
• Laptop computers – only when placed on hard services – must NOT be used on bedding due to the potential to overheat

Items which patients must NOT bring onto Hospital premises

• Any electrical appliance which runs on direct mains power (220-250 volt) such as:
• Portable televisions on direct mains power (eg. a standard TV set)
• Hi-Fi/Radio/CD/DVD players on direct mains power
• Hair dryers, hair tongs, hair straighteners, or similar
• Mains extension leads
• Any cooking appliances including kettles, toasters, or tea/coffee cup heating elements
• E cigarettes
• Mini drinks fridges
• Fan heaters
• Tabletop cooling fans
• Butane or gas powered devices (The above lists are not exhaustive)

Devices must not be charged in an oxygen rich environment

Electrical sockets are primarily for the use of medical equipment. Patients may only use an electrical socket when one becomes available which is not required for clinical use.

The Trust reserves the right to prevent the use of, or remove from use, any electrical item which contravenes this guidance and/or statutory regulations.

SWFT operates a smoke free site

While you are in hospital, keeping you safe and well is a priority for the staff looking after you. There are also some simple things you can do to help keep yourself safe during your hospital stay, such as asking for help when needed, protecting yourself from slips and falls and helping to prevent blood clots.

The NHS England National Patient Safety Team have created a video and leaflet providing tips on keeping yourself safe during your hospital stay.

• Video – standard version
• Video – British Sign Language (BSL) version
• Leaflet (available in a range of languages)

Whether you are a patient or a relative of one, being in hospital can be a challenging time. You or your loved one may be feeling anxious or distressed. You may be dealing with a new diagnosis, or just wondering what is going to happen next. You may feel alone. You may be bereaved. Whatever is happening, it is normal to feel overwhelmed from time to time. We’re here to support you.

We seek to support people of any faith. We hold a list of local faith leaders and representatives who we can contact when needed. We also have an internal group of staff members of many faiths who act as advisors to the service and give support.

Children and Young People’s Chaplaincy

We have two children and young people’s chaplains. They work with the community palliative care team to support families of palliative children and bereaved families.

Bereavement Listening Service

We offer 1:1 sessions for bereavement support. The service is offered to patients, bereaved relatives and members of staff. We can meet face to face or talk on the phone or online. Contact us at listening@swft.nhs.uk. More information on the Bereavement Listening service.

Big questions

Illness can raise all sorts of questions for people – why is this happening to me? What have I done to deserve it? What if I don’t get better? Some of these questions may find some resolution within a person’s religious tradition but most people are not religious, and even those who are, need more than religion to meet their deepest human needs.

Chaplains offer time and space to listen to a person’s needs and to help them articulate what matters to them. We are here for people who find themselves to be patients and for their families – sometimes it is family members who needs most support. It helps to talk – we are here to listen.

Visiting

We will visit anyone and give whatever time is needed to meet their need. You don’t need to ‘be religious’ to see a chaplain. We will only talk about religion if you want to.

We are here for everyone, regardless of background or belief.

Our main base is Warwick Hospital. However, we also visit:

Leamington Hospital
We visit patients or staff in any area of Leamington Hospital, at any time. There is usually a chaplain on-site in Leamington on Wednesdays. We also have a small team of chaplaincy volunteers who visit the wards on Fridays. Our chaplaincy administrator is based in the volunteer hub. Here there is also chaplaincy information and support.

Stratford Hospital
We visit patients or staff in any area of Stratford Hospital, at any time. A small team of chaplaincy volunteers, including one of our honorary chaplains, visit regularly on the Nicol Unit and Rigby Unit. They are usually there on Thursdays.

If you need us urgently

Call switchboard (01926 495321 outside the Trust or press 0 if using a Trust phone) and ask for the on-call chaplain: there is always a chaplain available, at any time of the day or night.

If it’s not urgent

We are usually on-site at Warwick Monday to Friday between 08:00am to 04:00pm and on Sunday mornings.

Email: chaplaincy@swft.nhs.uk
Phone: 01926 495321 ext 4121
Or pick up a referral form outside the chaplaincy office in Warwick and post it through our door – or if the door is open, come in to talk to us.

The Chapel at Warwick Hospital, and the Oasis at Leamington Hospital are always open and you are always welcome. These are shared spaces, quietness is observed where possible. We also hold services here.

At Warwick there is also a prayer room and wudu facilities. The prayer room contains religious items for Muslim, Hindu and Sikh faiths. In the Leamington Oasis there is a screened space with prayer mats.

At Stratford Hospital, there is a room on the first floor of Building One with wudu facilities.

Trees of love and prayers

You will find a tree in the chapel at Warwick Hospital, the Oasis at Leamington Hospital and also at Stratford Hospital, where you can hang a leaf on the branches as a sign of your love and prayers for someone, or in memory of someone who has died.

Regular Services

We hold a simple service of Holy Communion at 09:30am each Sunday in the chapel at Warwick. This is a short service (about 20 minutes) that follows a Church of England liturgy.

Jumu’ah Prayers take place in the chapel on Fridays at about 1:15pm.

Staff, patients, visitors and volunteers are all welcome at these services.

Roman Catholic Chaplaincy

We currently do not have a Roman Catholic Chaplain. We have volunteers who are Eucharistic ministers who come in on most Tuesdays and Thursdays for non-urgent pastoral Roman Catholic visits. We also have an emergency call out service provided by local priests. This is not a 24/7 service; on days when we have no priest available, we advise families to call in their own priest.

Many of the referrals we receive are for people at the end of life, or those caring for them. Sometimes people just want someone to be there with them: we can do that. We can also offer prayers and other religious rites as appropriate. We can help someone network with their local faith community. We also offer simple bereavement support.

Religious and cultural needs at the end of life

This link will give some guidelines for religious and cultural needs of patients, including guidance for end of life religious care. However, no guide is ever conclusive and every individual may have different needs. We always ask and we never assume. We are happy to be involved in conversations with staff and patients to facilitate support for religious and cultural needs.

We can assist with all of these!

Baptisms (also known as christenings) may be important for a baby or an adult, especially when the future is uncertain.

Emergency marriages can sometimes be arranged at a bedside if need be. Contact us to discuss this.

Emergency Marriage in Hospital Procedure can be accessed by staff via the Trust extranet.

We also conduct funerals for patients who die in the hospital with no next of kin, and for babies who die at any gestation or after birth. Occasionally we are asked to take a funeral for a patient whom we have spent time with in the hospital – we are always happy to consider this.

The chaplains work closely with the Trust's Bereavement Midwife, early pregnancy and maternity teams to support parents when they experience baby loss at any gestation or after birth.

We can visit people when they are on the ward or in any hospital department. We also conduct funerals for babies of any gestation; and we hold annual remembrance services for anyone who has ever lost a baby. And we offer ongoing support when that is needed. We can meet people in their own home, or anywhere else as appropriate.

We have some beautiful books of remembrance in the chapel at Warwick:

For babies:

• Baby Book of Remembrance Application Form
• Script Choices

For members of staff who have died:

• Mandy Willis Staff Memorial Book

A professional calligrapher writes and illustrates the inscription.

Access the calendar of religious festivals.

We are here for all staff as well as for patients and their families. We offer one to one support, either for times of crisis or in a more on-going way.

We are happy to support by phone, online, or face to face. We can offer support to staff who are off work, for sickness or any other reason. We also offer team support, for example de-briefing after a traumatic event, or memorial services for members of staff who have died. We can offer tea, biscuits and tissues for any reason, at any time! We can also offer retreat days for staff teams, and services or blessings for any occasion.

Because we are often on-site (as well as one of us being on call 24/7) we can usually respond to a need pretty quickly, if not immediately. We don’t operate with waiting lists or appointment systems.

We hold supplies of wooden holding crosses and hearts, prayer cards, bibles, rosaries, medallions, Buddhist statues, knitted hearts, blankets, twiddle muffs and more. Just ask us.