Daphne Ward

Each bed space has a bed, table, locker, chair and a TV. Please place belongings in the locker or on / under the chair so your bed space remains clutter free.

If you wish to use the TV, channels one to five are free from morning until midday. After which there is a fee for different packages which include film and internet – please pick up the phone and speak to customer services or follow the directions on the screen. There is a pre-paid card collection point nearby – please as a member of staff for directions or you can pay by credit / debit card by following the instructions on the screen. There are headphones available for your TV – please respect the other patients around you and try to use headphones throughout your stay.

Each bed area has a nurse call bell to help you obtain assistance from the ward staff and you can also operate your lights with this; please ensure you have this with you or in reach at all times. You are also welcome to come to the nurse’s station (if you are able to) where questions can be answered.

There is also a remote control to operate your bed which is occasionally hooked on the side of the bed. If you are struggling to use it, please ask a member of staff.

There are some electric fans available on the ward; if you require one, staff will endeavour to get one for you.

Other personal electrical items should not be plugged in, without discussion with your nurse, as they may present a fire hazard.

All items including mobile phones are brought in to hospital at your own risk and the Trust is not able to take responsibility for any lost or damaged items.

Hot water bottles / wheat bags can be used on the ward. However, they are used at your own risk; we can take no responsibility for the use of them and we will ask you to sign a disclaimer form.

Please ask a member of nursing staff if you wish to have an eye mask and ear plugs – these are available as a sleep well pack.

If you first arrive onto the ward after an operation, your vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature), your sanitary pad and wound will be checked regularly to assess your condition closely. Your vital signs are checked every half an hour and then it will be adjusted accordingly.

The nursing staff will also monitor any drips or drains you have as part of their assessment of your overall well-being:

• You may have an intravenous infusion (drip) running to maintain your hydration, especially if you are not allowed anything orally (nil by mouth); this will be removed once you are eating and drinking. When this occurs depends upon the nature of your condition / operation and the instructions of your gynaecologist.
• You may have a urinary catheter to drain your bladder – this is usually only temporary and may be removed once you can mobilise to the toilet, this will be done on the instructions of your gynaecologist - generally this will be early the following morning or on the morning of the second day.
• You may also have an epidural infusion into your back or a handset for Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) to control the amount of pain you have. Dependent upon the nature of your condition / operation this will stay one-three days.

Daphne ward will offer you three meals a day; all meals are served to you by our housekeeper. You will be given a menu for each of these meals.

Please note that food is for patient consumption only.

Breakfast (toast, cereals, fruit) - 08:00-10:00

Snacks and drinks – 10:00 -12:00

Lunch (hot food or sandwiches) 12:00 - 13:00

Snacks and drinks – 14:00 - 15:00

Dinner (hot food or sandwiches) 17:00 - 17:45

Tea, coffee and hot chocolate are available at any time from our tea trolley just by the nurse’s station and there is also a water dispenser just next to it – we ask for a small donation by visitors if they use the tea trolley.

If you are unable to access the tea trolley, please ask one of the members of staff to get you a drink.

If you miss a meal, staff can offer you what they have on the ward or get a hot meal prepared for you from our main kitchen – please ask a member of staff about the options.

You are allowed to bring your own food and drink but there are regulations about the reheating of food which we need to adhere to. Please ask to speak to the nurse-in-charge

You will also get a fresh water jugs throughout the day by our housekeeper.

If you have any specific dietary requirements, please speak with the nurse.

Hand washing facilities are available throughout the ward, including hand gel. Please ensure you and your visitors are regularly washing hands with soap and water, to prevent the spread of infection – especially when entering and leaving the ward.

For infection control reasons, no visitors should be sitting or lying on the patients beds.

Patients who require isolation from the main ward due to concerns about a spread of infection, will be cared for in a side room and clear signs will specify instructions to your visitors. All signs are identical, in every circumstance to maintain confidentiality.

The nursing staff offer prescribed medication including analgesia (pain relief), on the drug rounds, which are at approximately 08:00, 12:00, 18:00 and 22:00 hours. If you require pain relief outside of this time, please do ask a member of staff, who will get you some as promptly as possible.

All medication should be taken at the time it is brought to you, and legally this administration has to be recorded in your notes.

It may be possible for you to take responsibility for your own medication. The nurse looking after you will have to undertake a Self-administration of Medicines (SAM) assessment, please ask the nurses looking after you.

Doctors will come and see you daily and make a plan for your care. This happens between 08:00 to 09:00, Monday to Friday and 09:00 to 10:00, Saturday and Sunday. Please speak to a member of the nursing team if you have not been seen.

The main doors into the ward are locked at all times. Staff access the ward using their ID badges. Patients and visitors are asked to ring the doorbell, and this is answered as promptly as possible. Those entering the ward are asked to explain who they are visiting to establish if their visit is suitable. If your visitor is a staff member, please ask them not to use their ID badge, but ring the bell.

You must be allowed time to rest and recuperate and the ward staff are able to police this.

For your safety and the safety of patients in your bay, we ask that curtains remain open unless you require privacy for having a procedure and undressing. This allows staff to have a clear view of all the patients on the ward.

Information about you is kept confidential. If you wish to speak with the nurse privately, please make a member of staff aware. We are not able to give out information to your relatives over the phone without your explicit consent; this information will not be detailed.

Should your relatives with to speak to your medical team this can be arranged but again only with your consent to do so and also your approval of what we may discuss.

Patients generally stay on the ward between 24 to 48 hours but this depends on your condition and how you are progressing. Your ‘fit for discharge date’ will be updated daily by the consultant on the morning ward rounds.

Prior to discharge, there are a few things that need to be completed before this can go ahead:

• The doctors have said you are fit for discharge.
• You will need a discharge letter and any medications that you are needing to take home with you.
• You may be given a ‘recovering well leaflet’ which will advise you on different exercises to do, what to do and what not to do and what to expect.
• You may be asked to complete a questionnaire on your experience during your stay on Daphne ward.
• Please make sure that you have the ward telephone number in case you need to contact us.
• It may be you will need a follow up clinic appointment, a telephone call or a letter with your results at a later date; you will be informed of this prior to your leaving.
• On the day of your discharge you may be asked to vacate your bed and wait in the Discharge Lounge. This is within the main hospital.

There is a ward women’s health physiotherapist who attends the ward Monday to Friday. She / he will see you the day after your operation to discuss appropriate exercises and assist your mobility for the best recovery for you. She / he will give you a leaflet to take home with you which shows you how to do the exercises and if you have any questions then there is a contact number on there for you.

If you wish to leave us feedback, please speak with your nurse and they can advise you further - we do have an iPad which enables you to do this and we review feedback regularly.

We also allow you to file a complaint if you wish to have an issue that you have taken further. Please speak to a member of staff for more information.