Orthopaedics
Admission into the hospital for an elective procedure
We look forward to welcoming you to our hospital. This page gives you important information about what you need to do before, during and after your admission, and also contact telephone numbers you may need. It should be read alongside your admission letter which will tell you:
- The date and time of your admission and where you need to go
- Time of surgery will be different from your admission time
- What to do if you cannot make your admission date
As soon as you can after receiving your admission letter:
Check the admission details and ring the admission co-ordinator as soon as possible to confirm if you can attend or not attend your admission date. We can then rearrange your admission and give your bed to someone else.
Confirm with your admission co-ordinator that an interpreter or signer has been booked for you if required
Within four days before coming to hospital
You will receive a phone call to confirm your attendance and establish your current health status to ensure you remain fit for surgery – Please ensure you are available, as failure to contact you could result in your operation been rescheduled. Please be aware that for confidentiality reasons the telephone call will appear as Unknown or Withheld number.
If you have had any of the following in the week running up to your admission, please contact the Pre-operative Assessment clinic where you were seen to ensure you are well enough for your admission.
Watford please ring 01923 436018
St Albans please ring 01727 897140
- Signs or symptoms of infections, such as temperature or a rash (anywhere on the body)
- A cough or cold, or other breathing or chest problems
- Wounds or cuts
- Any newly diagnosed health condition since your Pre operative Assessment
- If you have had a ward admission in any hospital or a day case invasive procedure since your Pre operative Assessment you will need repeat MRSA swabs at least three days before your admission
Day before and on the day of surgery
To reduce the risk of infection all patients should have a shower, bath or bed bath at home before surgery. Patients are advised not to remove hair from the surgical site and not to apply moisturisers/oils/creams/lotions 48 hours prior to surgery.
- Do not drink any alcohol from the day before the surgery
- Do not smoke or vape for at least 24 hours before your admission.
- Do not take recreational drugs for 48 hours before your admission
- Do not wear any make-up or nail varnish. Gel/false nails must be removed.
- Remove piercings and jewellery – except for a wedding band
Fasting instructions
Do not eat for 6 hours prior to your admission time. You may have sips of clear water only up to 2 hours before your admission time. (Please do not chew gum or eat sweets).
Failure to follow these instructions may result in your surgery being cancelled.
Medication
If you require tablets for your heart or blood pressure, it is important that you take your usual tablets with a sip of water before admission.
If you are diabetic, or take any anti-coagulants or anti-platelets (blood thinning medication) daily please follow the advice given in Pre-operative Assessment or ring clinic on 01727 897555 or 01923 244366 ext 3236.
For Orthopaedics please stop as stated below:
- Rivaroxaban – 24 hours
- Apixaban – 48 hours
- Clopidrogrel – 10 days before
- Diclofenac – 10 days
- Ibuprofen – 10 days
- Warfarin – 5 days
- Naproxen- 7 days
- Aspirin – 7 days
Over the Counter medications including vitamins, herbal, minerals should be stopped two weeks prior to surgery.
Admissions to Watford Hospital
We will do everything we can to make sure there is no change to your admission date, but occasionally your surgery may be postponed if there is a need to prioritise a patient who requires emergency treatment.
Admissions to Surgical Admissions Lounge (SAL) Please report to level 6 in Princess Michael of Kent Building
Gynaecology patients please report to Womens and children’s Level 1- Elizabeth ward (01923 217902) prior to coming in, as requested in your admission letter.
Orthopaedics patients please report to ward specified on your admission letter
Admissions to St Albans City Hospital
Please report to De La Mare (level 5) or Beckett Ward (level 4) or Day Surgery Unit (level 1) at the time specified in your admission letter.
All inpatient admissions
Please bring with you:
- All tablets, medicines or inhalers that you have been prescribed (including those stopped prior to surgery) with the exception of Temazepam and Pethidine. Please ensure that all medication is in the original packaging, labelled with your name. Please do not mix tablets or bring them in your own tablet dispenser tray or dosette box from your local pharmacy. (Please advise nursing staff if you have dosette box on arrival to admitting ward )
- Personal items – including night clothes, dressing gown and slippers, bedjacket or shawl.
- Comfortable day clothes
- Your spectacles and contact lenses (labelled with your name)
- Denture pot (as you will be asked to remove any false teeth)
- Toiletry items (toothbrush, toothpaste, flannel, soap, shampoo, shaving equipment, comb or hairbrush etc).
- Mobile phone – please use with consideration for other patients and keep on silent.
You might also want to bring:
- Tissues and baby wipes
- Proof of entitlement to free travel costs if appropriate
- Items of religious importance to you
- Your hearing aid
- Sanitary products such as tampons
- Mobility aids such as a walking stick or frame
- Some money to purchase newspapers or to use the telephone
- Books, magazines, knitting
- Writing paper and pen
- Non perishable snacks, squash
Please do not bring
- Jewellery or valuables
- Large amounts of money or credit cards
- Large bags or suitcases, as bed space is limited
- Electrical items such as hairdryers, electric razors
- Food that needs reheating (we cannot reheat food for infection control reasons)
Planning your journey
There are good public transport links to the hospital.
Public transport details and maps of our hospital sites are available on our website www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk
Disabled parking is available to blue-badge holders. Other car parking is pay and display and is limited.
Facilites are available for drop off and pick up for Day Surgery admissions.
Concession Parking Visitors/Patients
A concession permit request form must be completed and authorised by the ward/department.
The applicant must then take the completed form to patient affairs at Hemel Hempstead, Reception or Patient Affairs at Watford or reception at St Albans Hospital.
Reception/Patient Affairs will issue the relevant permit.
To pay for the concession, the applicant must make an appropriate payment
at the pay and display machines and stick the tickets onto the concessionary
permit.
Please note refunds of payments already made cannot be reimbursed.
About your stay
We will do everything we can to make your stay as comfortable as possible, Please see the checklist on page 2 for information on what to bring with you and what to leave at home so that you can start planning for your hospital stay.
Day Surgery
Unfortunately we cannot accommodate relatives or friends within the clinical area. There is day surgery parking available that should be used for drop off/ pick up only . You may be required to ay in overnight following a day case procedure on recommendation from surgical/anaesthetic team.
Inpatients
We welcome and encourage your family and close friends to visit you during inpatient hospital stays. Visiting hours are between 1.00 to 9.00 pm, with protected meal times (5.00-6.00pm) where visitors will be asked to leave the bedside.
Fresh cut flowers are not permitted on the wards, as the water can harbour infection. Flowers arrangements in oasis are acceptable.
Facilities on the Watford site: The Kitchen restaurant, WH Smith, League of Friends snack bar, snack vending machines (which accept card payment), mobile trolley service to ward areas.
Facilities on the St Albans site: The All Good Coffee Co café, RVS kiosk, snack vending machines, mobile trolley service to ward areas
Planning for your return home
It is important that you arrange for someone to drive you home and to stay with you overnight if you are discharged within 24 hours of general anaesthetic/sedation. The ward team will make sure you have everything you need before you are discharged. You may need medication or details of further treatment while you are at home, The ward team will also tell you about follow-up appointments and any other support you need when you go home.
You may want to prepare for your return home by:
- Stocking up on non-perishable foods, such as tinned, frozen food, long life milk
- Cooking extra meal portions and freezing them
- Arranging for a relative or friend to stay with you if you live alone
- Asking a relative or friend to visit you regularly throughout the day when you are back home
- Making sure you have a good supply of your usual medicines and pain relief
- Arranging for someone to help care for your young children until you have recovered
- Asking a neighbour or friend to look after your pets
- Checking with your insurance company when you will be able to drive after your operation
Useful telephone numbers
Admission co-ordinators for Orthopaedics
View the admissiosn co-ordonators
If any of your symptoms change or you no longer require the procedure,
please contact the relevant member of staff below so we can make the
necessary amendments. Furthermore, if you are unsure if your operation is
still required we can organise another review in clinic.
If you would like to get in touch with us, you can either call or e-mail :
