South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust
Your Stay
Help and guidance for a patient's stay in hospital.
Medical staff
A consultant will be in charge of your medical treatment, assisted by other doctors and nursing staff. If you need to know more about your illness or treatment you can ask a nurse to arrange an appointment with your consultant.
Nursing staff
On admission to the ward you will be allocated a named nurse, who will be responsible for planning with you the nursing care to meet your individual needs. Your nurse will be supported by a team of nurses who will also care for you during your hospital stay. Visiting times vary throughout the hospital. Please ask a member of staff to confirm the visiting times on your ward.
Visitors can contact the wards by telephoning 0191 404 1000 and should ask the operator for the relevant ward.
Meals
Every day while in hospital you will need to fill in a menu card for each of the three meals. The menu is varied to meet your needs. However, if you require a special diet, please ask a member of staff to organise this. Hot drinks are served at other times during the day.
Meal Times
Every day while in hospital you will need to fill in a menu card for each of the three meals. The menu is varied to meet your needs. However, if you require a special diet, please ask a member of staff to organise this. Hot drinks are served at other times during the day.
Meals are freshly prepared by our team of trained and experienced chefs and are delivered to the wards in specially purchased trolleys to ensure they are moved from kitchen to ward as quickly as possible. Meal times across the Trust vary slightly from ward to ward, please ask the nursing team on admission if you have any questions regarding these times.
Protected Mealtimes
Following the successful introduction of protected mealtimes across the Elderly Care and Medical Wards, this has now been rolled out to all adult inpatient areas.
The principles of protected mealtimes are as follows:
- To ensure that all patients, who are able to, can enjoy their meal in a pleasant ward environment.
- To reduce the amount of activity and visitors to the ward (whether they are staff or members of the public) during mealtimes
- To ensure ward staff are available to prepare patients for mealtimes, and provide assistance and encouragement to patients, wherever required.
Restaurant
Visitors can purchase meals, snacks and beverages from the staff restaurant, situated in the Ingham Wing building, between 8.00 am and 7.00 pm.
Shop
There is a Shop located in the Ingham Wing, run by the League of Friends, which is open at the following times: Mon-Fri: 10:00-21:00 hrs, Sat/Sun: 14:00-17:00 hrs & 19:00-21:00 hrs.
Newspapers
Newspapers can be bought from the paper-man, who visits the wards every morning.
Smoking
This is a no-smoking hospital and it is requested that patients and visitors do not smoke, other than in designated areas.
Chaplains
Chaplains visit the hospital regularly and will visit any patient who wishes to see them. There is also a chapel based in the Ingham Wing and arrangements can be made to visit.
General Information
It would be appreciated if you would not bring any valuables into hospital - please bring only personal belongings like toiletries, nightwear and slippers. All belongings should be labelled , as the hospital cannot take responsibility for these.
Television / Radio
Most wards have access to a television and the hospital radio. Please ask a member of staff about these facilities. A portable phone is available on most wards for you and your relatives to use.
HRTST Hospital Radio South Tyneside Hospital Radio South Tyneside (HRST) - run by volunteers - is South Tyneside District Hospital's own free entertainment and information service. Broadcasting 24 hours a day on Channel 1 of Patientline, the service provides music, information and local news to the patients and staff of the hospital. The service is free and requests can be made by dialling *800 from the Patientline telephone. For more information, visit the HRST website.
Mobile phones
Mobile phones are allowed ONLY in designated safe areas within the hospitals. These safe areas are as follows:
Alexander's Restaurant.
Alexander's Cafe, Ingham Wing Main Entrance.
Alexander's Cafe, Palmer Community Hospital.
Mobile phones MUST NOT be used in any ward or clinical areas.
Confidentiality
Whilst in hospital all information regarding your illness and treatment will remain confidential. Your progress may be discussed with your closest family only with your permission. Our aim is to please at all times and make your stay in hospital as pleasant as possible. We would appreciate any suggestions or comments you may wish to make regarding the care we provide and the facilities available. Please discuss any concerns with the staff, who will sort out the problem if possible and if necessary they can consult senior colleagues for advice.
The Trust welcomes any comments or suggestions which should be addressed to:
Chief Executive,
South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust,
South Tyneside District Hospital,
Harton Lane,
South Shields,
NE34 OPL
Feedback and Further Information
The Trust welcomes any comments or suggestions. For more information on how to contact us please refer to the Customer Services section of our website.