Simple steps to keep you safe during your hospital stay
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.
Keeping you safe and well while in hospital is a priority for our staff, who are looking after you.
There are also some simple things you can do to help keep yourself safe during your hospital stay or visit.
Ask for help if you don't understand
Make staff aware if you need extra help to communicate, or need support from a friend, carer or family member. Also let staff know if you need any assistance, have any needs, or have any questions or concerns.
Check your hospital wristband
This is important as your wristband will be checked by staff to confirm you are the right patient before they give you medication or carry out tests. Tell someone right away if any of the information on your hospital wristband is wrong.
Make staff aware of any allergies
Tell staff if you have any allergies, such as to certain medicines, foods or materials like latex or plasters.
Tell staff about your medicines
Tell a member of staff before taking any medicines you brought into hospital with you, including any pain relief, vitamins or supplements. This is important as they can sometimes react with new medicines or treatments you might be given in hospital. Also tell staff if you have any medical alert cards or use any devices, for example, an insulin pump.
Ask if you don't understand your medicines
Ask a member of staff:
if you don't understand what any new medicines are for and why you need to take them
if you have any questions about possible side effects
Take steps to prevent blood clots
Take short walks, if you are able to. Do simple leg and ankle exercises. Drink plenty of water, or other fluids, unless staff have told you not to. You might also need to have injections to thin your blood.
Preventing pressure ulcers
Regularly change position in bed. Ask staff to help you move if you find it difficult. Staff can also get you a special mattress or cushion if you need them
Protect yourself from slips and falls
When walking around the hospital:
wear the right kind of footwear, such as snug fitting slippers or shoes with rubber soles, such as trainers
use the walking aid you normally use
wear your glasses and hearing aids if you have them
ask a member of staff to help if you need any support
Help prevent infections
Your health and safety are our top priorities. Whether you're visiting for a routine check-up or a specific treatment, it’s important to understand how we work together to prevent infections. This guide outlines some basic infection prevention and control (IPC) measures you should be aware of during your visit.
Why Is Infection Prevention Important?
In outpatient settings—where you don’t stay overnight—many people come and go daily, making it essential to follow strict hygiene protocols. This helps reduce the spread of infections, keeping you, other patients, and healthcare staff safe.
Key Steps We Take to Protect You:
1. Hand hygiene
Clean hands are one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent infection. Our healthcare staff wash or sanitise their hands:
- Before and after patient contact
- Before any procedure
- After exposure to bodily fluids
- After touching any surfaces in your care environment
You’ll find hand sanitisers in various areas—feel free to use them when entering or leaving the area.
2. Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Depending on the nature of your visit, you may see staff wearing gloves, masks, face shields, or gowns. This equipment is used to protect both you and the
healthcare workers from potential infections.
3. Cleaning and disinfection
We regularly clean and disinfect surfaces such as examination tables, chairs, door handles, and medical equipment. Special attention is given to areas where
multiple patients are seen, and high-touch surfaces are sanitised frequently.
4. Sterilisation of medical instruments
Any instruments used during your visit—whether for an exam or procedure—are either disposable or thoroughly sterilised before use. We also us a lot of single
use items which are disposed of following your procedure. This ensures no risk of
infection from previous patients.
5. Screening and managing symptoms if you arrive telling us that you have symptoms of an infection:
You may be asked screening questions when you arrive. If you have symptoms of an infectious disease (like fever, cough, or flu), we will take extra precautions,
such as isolating you in a separate area. Please report any new or unusual symptoms as soon as possible.
6. Cough etiquette and respiratory hygiene
If you are coughing or sneezing, use a tissue or your elbow to cover your mouth and nose. Dispose of tissues immediately in the nearest bin and wash your hands
afterward. This helps reduce the spread of respiratory infections.
7. Vaccinations and immunisation
Vaccines protect not just you but also others in the community from infectious diseases like the flu, COVID-19, and others. Stay up to date with your vaccinations,
as recommended by your healthcare provider.
How you can help prevent infections
- Follow all instructions
Follow any specific infection control instructions provided by healthcare staff. These may include wearing a mask or staying in a designated area during your visit.
- Practice good hand hygiene
Use the hand sanitisers available around the clinic, and wash your hands thoroughly, especially after using the restroom, coughing, or sneezing.
- Stay home if you're sick
If you’re feeling unwell or have symptoms of an infection, call ahead and reschedule your appointment. It’s better to stay home and recover than risk spreading
germs to others.
- Limit accompanying visitors
To reduce crowding and minimise infection risks, we may ask that only essential visitors or caregivers accompany you during your visit. Please check if there are
restrictions on visitors before your appointment.
What if you have concerns about infection control?
If you notice any issues with cleanliness, hand hygiene, or infection control during your visit, don’t hesitate to speak up! Your feedback helps us maintain the highest standards of care.
By working together, we can reduce the risk of infections and ensure a safe environment for everyone. Remember, infection prevention starts with simple, everyday actions that can make a big difference. Thank you for doing your part to keep our outpatient facility a safe and healthy space.
...and when it's time to go home
Make sure you:
understand when you will receive your hospital discharge letter and any follow-up appointments
have been given any medicines to take at home; and you know what they're for and how to take them
know who to contact if you have any questions about your care or follow-up arrangements
This information is available to download in the Simple steps leaflet, it is also available in Arabic, Cantonese, French, Gujarati, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Spanish, and Urdu.
Clinical deterioration is detected by clinical staff every day, using their own skills, and knowledge as well as digital and other early warning systems. However, friends and relatives, as well as patients themselves, may spot ‘soft signs’ of deterioration before it becomes apparent to staff.
Call for concern is a 24/7 service that helps patients, relatives and carers get direct access to senior clinicians if they are concerned that ward staff aren’t recognising that a patient’s condition may be getting worse.
This service is only for patients staying in our hospitals.
Mask wearing
Patients, visitors and staff are no longer required to wear a face mask in non-clinical areas and in the majority of clinical areas. However, you may be asked to wear a mask in areas where we are treating our most vulnerable patients.
Whilst you no longer need to wear a mask, we recognise some people will feel more comfortable doing so. If you would like to wear a mask, please do so.
