Our staff are trained to give you the best possible care and to make sure that you receive consideration, courtesy and expertise from everyone you meet during your stay. Wards are busy places and many people are involved in caring for you. All our staff carry identification badges but, if in doubt, please ask them to introduce themselves.
Medical staff
You are under the care of a consultant who is responsible for your medical treatment. Each consultant has a team of doctors – the specialist registrar supervises your treatment, while registrars and senior house officers (normally known as SHOs) look after your daily care.
A member of your medical team will visit the ward regularly to assess your progress and prescribe treatment. If at any time you would like to discuss your treatment with a member of the team, your nurse will arrange a meeting at a time convenient for you both.
Nursing staff
Each ward has its own team of qualified nurses who are responsible for your care. Depending on your diagnosis, you may also meet with a clinical nurse specialist and, if appropriate, you may be introduced to our homecare service team. Each ward is run by a matron. Read a profile of your ward's matron.
Team nursing
All our wards operate a nursing system which means that although individual nurses work shifts, the same group of nurses will look after you during your stay. This is different in intensive care where there is generally a one-to-one ratio of nurses to patients.
Other staff
You will probably come across many other members of staff in your stay and these include:
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physiotherapists
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radiographers
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dieticians
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technicians
- pharmacists
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porters
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domestic staff
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catering assistants
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ward clerks
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occupational therapists
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health psychologists
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social workers
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welfare rights advisors
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infection prevention and control nurse
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chaplains.