Welcome to Ward 7a Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
Welcome to Ward 7a, we hope the information on this page will give you an idea of what to expect when you are admitted.
Ward 7a specialises in renal and general medicine.
The ward offers a caring and friendly atmosphere but is often very busy. Our aim is to give a high standard of care in a safe environment for patients, their carers and staff, where the patient’s dignity and confidentiality is maintained.
The nursing team is led by a Senior Ward Sister who is supported by Junior Sisters, 5 in total. The nursing team consists of Staff Nurses and Health Care Support Workers.
There are consultants allocated to the ward; they are supported by a team of doctors who will be responsible for your care while you are on the ward. During your stay, you will also be seen by members of other professional teams. You may be seen by a Specialist Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Pharmacist, Physiotherapist or Dietician. A Social Worker is also available if needed.
Administration and domestic staff also support the ward teams.
Who’s who on the ward?
The staff on the ward can be easily identified by the uniform they wear:
- Ward Manager – navy tunic with white piping/trousers or dress.
- Sister/Charge Nurse - navy tunic with white piping/trousers or dress.
- Staff Nurse - blue dress/tunic with navy trousers
- Male Staff Nurses – blue tunic and navy trousers.
- Students Nurses - pale blue/white dress/tunic with navy trousers.
- Health Care Support workers – pale green dress/tunic with navy trousers.
- Male Health Care Assistants - pale green tunic and Navy trousers.
What to expect when you are admitted?
Most of our patients are admitted in an emergency, usually from the Emergency Department (ED) or the Acute Medical Unit (AMU). However, arrangements may have been made for a planned admission from either an out-patient clinic or in preparation for a certain procedure.
On arrival to the ward, you will be shown the facilities and the ward routine will be explained. In the event of a bed not being immediately available, a recliner chair or bed will be provided, while you wait in the corridor.
A nurse will check your details and make sure that you are comfortable.
There will be a trained nurse on duty who will be responsible for your care. If you or your family have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
If you have not already been seen by a doctor in ED or AMU, a doctor from our medical team will visit and complete an assessment of your condition.
They will then discuss your treatment plan with you and order any tests that are needed.
For some of these tests, you may be required not to eat or drink for a period of time; this includes chewing gum and sucking sweets. During this time, you will be able to clean your teeth and freshen your mouth using moistened foam sticks.
Daily ward routine
You will be seen by a member of the Medical Team each day during your stay.
If you or your family wish to speak with your consultant, please contact the consultant’s secretary who will arrange an appointment for you.
During your stay with us, we will discuss your treatment plan and involve you at all times in any decisions we take.
Please can you ask your family to bring in toiletries and day clothes for you to use during your stay.
Discharge
The length of time spent on the ward will vary depending on your condition. You and your relatives play a very important part in planning for your future needs. Please let us know if you have any problems that may delay your discharge home.
On the day of your discharge, you may be asked to go to the Discharge Lounge while you wait for transport and/or your medication to take home with you. The Discharge Lounge waiting area has refreshments available for you.
Our pharmacy is very busy and take-home medication can take up to 4 hours to be prepared, so please be patient.
Visiting hours
Our visiting times are from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm. Outside of these hours the team need to carry out daily routine procedures, many of which are performed in the morning.
Could you please make sure that you have no more than 2 visitors at any one time around your bed. This restriction helps to maintain your dignity and that of the other patients around you. It also prevents overcrowding and keeps noise levels to a minimum. Visitors may be asked to leave the bedside while any procedures are carried out.
Meals
Meals are ordered via menu cards on the previous day and are delivered on covered trays, with the exception of breakfast which is served from a trolley. On your first day on the ward a meal will be provided for you.
Breakfast 7:15 am
Lunch 1:15 pm
Supper 6:00 pm
Hot drinks are served several times throughout the day.
Medicine rounds
Rounds take place at about 8:00 am, 12:30 pm, 5:30 pm and 10:00 pm. During this time, the nurse distributing the medication should not be disturbed unless it is an emergency.
Telephone enquiries
We appreciate that your admission to hospital can be a worrying time for both you and your family. Telephone enquiries are welcomed, although it would be appreciated if one person telephones and relays the information to the rest of your family and friends. Please make your relatives aware that telephone calls might not be answered immediately as we may be very busy and our priority is to patient care. We would be grateful if relatives and friends could avoid telephoning between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm wherever possible. The ward telephone number is at the end of this page.
Concerns
Although the ward is very busy, the Senior Ward Sister is always willing to answer any questions or concerns that you may have.
If you have any suggestions on how we can improve our service, please do not hesitate to talk to the Senior Ward Sister. Alternatively, you can contact the PALS team on:
Tel: 0800 019 3282
Please leave a message and an advisor will get back to you.
Website: www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/contact-us/patient-advice-and-support/
If you would like to say thank you to the team or ward involved in your care, this can be done by contacting PALS or by visiting the webpage above and clicking on the ‘Say thank you’ link.