Staying in hospital
Inpatients are patients who need to stay in hospital to undergo their treatment. Here at Weston Park we have three inpatient wards and a Teenage Cancer Unit. We are currently undergoing a refurbishment of the wards at Weston Park which is planned to complete by the end of 2014. During this period one of the wards will be temporarily relocated to ward O1 at the Royal Hallamshire hospital. Cancer patients admitted to ward O1 will still be under the medical team at Weston Park. Many of the nurses on O1 are from Weston Park hospital and are trained and experienced in cancer care and cancer treatments.
How do I contact the hospital if I need to?
If you need to get in contact with the hospital before you come in, please help us by having the following information ready. We will need:
• Your name
• Your hospital number (this is the number on your appointment letter)
• The date you are coming into hospital
You should be able to find all the hospital information on your appointment letter. If you do not have an appointment letter, you can ring 0114 226 5300 and ask to be put through to the admission department which is open between 09 00 and 16 00 Monday to Friday. Outside of this time ask to be put through to the nurse bleep holder.
Visiting times
The ward visiting times are 2 - 3.30pm and 6.15 – 8pm.
On arrival
When you arrive at the hospital, please go to the reception desk just inside the main entrance. The receptionist will tell you where your ward is. If there is no one at reception follow the signs to the lifts and ward areas. If you are unsure where to go there is also a phone in the reception area. You can ring one of the wards from this phone for advice. The wards are in the following locations
• Ward 2 is on the 2nd floor
• Ward 3 is on the 3rd floor
• The Teenage Cancer Trust Unit is on the third floor
• Ward 4 is on the 4th floor.
When you arrive on the ward please go to the nurses’ station, which is halfway down the corridor on the right. All of our wards cater for men and women but you will be cared for in a bay with patients of your own sex.
Please bring any medicines you are taking. This includes over-the-counter, herbal or alternative medicines. Please bring them in their original packaging. It is very important that you bring all your medicines. This will help us to make sure that you are prescribed drugs and/or treatments that you can have safely with your current medicine.
What happens about mealtimes?
Each day you will be given a menu card from which to choose your meals. If you need help to do this please ask. Please tell the nurse if you need a special diet or are having difficulty eating or swallowing food. We will make sure that you are served suitable meals. If it is needed the nurse can arrange for you to see the dietician.
Meals on the wards are at the following times:
• Early morning drink 7.00am
• Breakfast 8.00am
• Mid-morning drink 10.00am
• Lunch 12.00 noon
• Afternoon drink 2.00pm
• Supper 5.45pm
• Evening drink after 8.30pm
Your visitors are welcome to bring certain items of food for you such as individual deserts, fruit drinks and biscuits or cakes. A refrigerator is available on each ward for patients' food. All food kept in this fridge should be labelled with the patient's name and a clear "use by" date. Please speak to a member of staff for more information.
Telephone calls to the ward
Each ward has a direct telephone line:
0114 226 5302 Ward 2
0114 226 5305 Ward 3
0114 226 5308 Ward 4
0114 226 5728 Teenage Cancer Unit
0114 226 5000 Weston Park Hospital assessment unit (phone advice)
What other services are available?
Television, radio and telephone (Patientline)
The hospital has a bedside system for providing you with television, radio and telephone. It is called Patientline. The system allows each patient to have a television, radio and telephone to themselves. Some of these services are free, for instance the radio, but for most of the others there is a charge. For these services, you will need to buy a card from one of the machines around the hospital - there should be a machine on your floor in the lift lobby. If you do not want to use the Patientline telephone, there is also a pay phone at the entrance to each ward and telephones on the ground floor reception area.
You can bring in your mobile phone. We do ask that you have them on silent to reduce disturbing other patients.
Newspapers and magazines
During the week newspapers and magazines can be bought on the wards from a delivery service. They can also be bought from main reception on the ground floor.
Hairdressing Salon (Unisex)
The Salon is on the 3rd Floor and is open from 9.30am to 1.30pm Monday and Thursday, 10.00am to 5.00pm Wednesday and Friday and 8.30 to 3.00pm on Saturday. If you can’t get to the salon then a hairdresser will come to the ward.
0114 226 5408
Patients Library
The library is on the 3rd floor and is open from 9.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. It provides the following services
• A wide range of books, DVDs, music CDs, relaxation tapes and talking books for loan.
• DVD/cassette players which can be borrowed free of charge.
• A trolley service to the wards on Monday and Thursday afternoons.
• A computer with internet access.
The library also provides a Cancer Information Service. They have a selection of books and leaflets covering every aspect of cancer.
Women’s Royal Volunteer Service (WRVS) shop
The shop is near the main reception, stocks a selection of gifts, toiletries and greeting cards. It is open from 9.30am - 3.45pm, Monday to Friday.
Cancer Information and Support Centre
Our Information and Support Centre is behind the main hospital car park. The centre provides reliable information and emotional support to patients and their carers in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.
If you would like more information about this service please ask the ward staff to contact the support centre. They will arrange to come to the ward to see you. Alternatively you can contact the centre on 0114 226 5666.
Massage Therapy Service
Qualified massage therapists visit the wards on a number of days during the week. Please ask your nurse for more details. Also, Red Cross volunteers come into the hospital on Mondays and Wednesdays to give hand and arm massage to patients on the ward.
The Cavendish Centre
The centre provides support and therapies for anyone whose life has been affected by cancer, relatives and carers as well as patients. They can be contacted on: 0114 278 4600. They also visit the wards to offer some therapies. Please ask your nurse for further details.
Is there anything I need to do before I go home?
When you are ready to go home please go through the checklist below. If you need help at home, make sure you tell the nursing staff.
• Have you arranged for someone to collect you? If you need an ambulance the nursing staff will do an assessment and arrange this for you. However, to book an ambulance we do need to have at least 48 hours notice.
• Have you got the medicines we have prescribed for you and the instructions on how to take them?
• Have you checked if you are entitled to free prescriptions?
• Please make sure that you take all of your belongings with you. Have you kept any valuables in our hospital safe? Remember to give your receipt to the nurse so that you can get them back before you go home.
• Have you returned books and DVDs to the Library? There is a library book post-box at the end of each ward.
• If you need a certificate for National Insurance or a private health scheme ask the nurse.
