You should be notified by letter of the date and time of your admission.  Please read the letter carefully because it contains important details and you may need to respond to some of the information given.

• If you are due to have a cardiology procedure

We ask that you telephone the ward before you leave home, whatever the time, on the morning of your procedure, to make sure a bed is available.  Your admission letter will tell you which ward you are being admitted to.

• If you are due to have surgery

If you are having surgery, your consultant's secretary will let you know when to come to hospital.  The day before your admission date please telephone our surgical bed manager on 01895 823737 and ask for “bleep 6161”, between 2 pm and 4 pm to find out which ward you will be admitted to.

Cancellations

Sometimes emergency cases will unfortunately mean we have to cancel a patient’s admission.  We will try to give you as much warning as possible if this is likely to be the case but there may be some occasions when this is not possible.

What to bring with you

• Completed registration form
• Any medication you are currently taking.  More on bringing in your medication.

Clothing

• Nightware and dressing gown
• Slippers.  Read more on the most appropriate footwear.
• Comfortable clothing
• Women having surgery - a well fitted, supportive bra (ideally front fastening)

Toiletries

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Shaving items (shaving points are available for electric razors)
• Liquid soap only – please don’t bring bars of soap or soap dishes
• Hairbrush or comb

Other items

• Money for transport home
• Books or magazines to read
• Small change for telephone, newspaper etc
• Pen for completing menus
• Any walking aid you routinely use

There is a small shop run by the Friends of Harefield where you will be able to buy items during your stay.

Because we do not have laundry facilities for clothing you bring in, you should either bring enough nightwear for the whole of your stay or ask visitors to bring you fresh clothing.

Valuables

Please do not bring jewellery, valuables or large sums of money into hospital.  You will need only small change for newspapers and telephone calls.  You may also need enough money to cover the cost of your transport home.  If you cannot avoid bringing valuable items with you, please hand them to your nurse, who will arrange for their safekeeping and give you a receipt. 

Harefield hospital cannot be held responsible for loss of, or damage to anything you bring with you, unless it has been handed over for safe-keeping and you have a receipt.

Footwear

It is important to bring in the most appropriate slippers.  To avoid the risk of falls we recommend footwear that fits well (though bear in mind your legs can swell during treatment), are closed on the back and have a good grip.

The kind of slippers we do not recommend you bring with you.

The kind of slippers we recommend you bring in with you.