If you need help to find the admissions area or your ward when you arrive, ask at the enquiry desk in the main reception. Our enquiry desks are open:
- University College Hospital: 9:00am - 5:00pm, Mon–Fri
- The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery: 9:00am - 5:00pm, Mon–Fri
- University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street: the reception is staffed 24/7
If you are coming to UCLH for surgery, we may first ask you to go to surgical reception rather than your ward. At surgical reception a nurse will give you a wristband and ask you a series of questions to check what medicines you are taking, any allergies you may have and some other details about you. After your operation, you will go to the ward where a nurse or ward clerk will explain the ward routine to you.
If you are not coming for surgery or a procedure, we will ask you to go straight to your ward. A nurse or ward clerk will greet you, check your details and explain the ward routine to you.
The nurse will give you a wristband with your name on it, which you must wear at all times in the hospital. If any of the information on it is incorrect please let your nurse know.
If you have any allergies you will be given a red band too. This is a vital part of safety checks to make sure you are always given the correct treatments of medicines. Let the ward staff know if you have any outpatient appointments you will miss while you are in hospital.
The ward is managed by a ward sister or charge nurse. If you have any concerns during your stay, they will be available to answer any questions you have.
Please tell staff if you:
- have an allergy (for example, to a particular medicine, food, or latex)
- are taking any medicines and make them aware of any you have brought in with you
- have any outpatient appointments you will miss while you are in hospital
- need someone to deal with your social security benefit
- will need the help of social services when you leave hospital
- need a medical certificate
- have valuables or money to be stored.
You will have a small locker by your bed for your clothes and personal items, but please don’t store valuables in your locker as UCLH cannot be responsible for them.
All beds have a bedside call bell system so patients can easily call for help when they need it from the nursing and other staff.
All our staff carry visible identity badges telling you who they are and what they do. But if you are not sure who someone is please do ask.
Once on the ward, you will be given the name of a nurse who will be responsible for your care and the other nursing staff who look after you. At the start of every shift, the nurse who will be looking after you will come and introduce themselves, so you know who to call if you have any queries or difficulties. Your consultant is responsible for your care. Although you may not see your consultant every day, a doctor on your consultant’s team should visit you. Ward rounds generally begin about 10:00, but this can vary, so ask your nurse about ward round times.
Your doctors and nurses will discuss your treatment with you as well as give you written information where available. Please advise your doctor or nurse if you would like your written information in another format such as Easy read or translated. We would encourage you to ask as many questions as you need.
Our values are:
- We put your Safety and wellbeing above everything
- We offer you the Kindness we would want for a loved one
- We achieve this through Teamwork
- We strive to keep Improving.
As a minimum, we expect our staff to live up to these values every day:
- We will introduce ourselves and our team. Ask us if we don’t.
- We will talk with you, not over you. Tell us if we don’t.
- We will call you the name you prefer. Tell us about your preference.
- We will answer all of your questions. Please ask us anything.
