What you can expect as a patient when arriving at the Bridford Unit
On admission you (the patient) can expect to be welcomed warmly to the unit and for you and your accompanying family, friends and carers will be offered a private room and made comfortable.
An assessment of your risk on the unit, your needs and discussion of wishes and views about hospital admission will happen when you first arrive to the unit. This will be carried out by a Nurse and Junior Doctor.
You will be given a tour of the unit and your bedroom, shown how to go about accessing staff, where your basic amenities are located and provided information regarding the units routine.
Each bedroom will also be supplied a folder with the necessary information to refer to.
The unit staff will assist you in unpacking belongings, paying attention to items which might be valuable or unsafe to keep in the your allocated bedroom
Following an initial assessment, the admitting Nurse will consider your immediate risks and create a management plan. An assessment of risk of self-harm and suicide may also be completed.
A physical examination will be carried out to rule out infection, a physical disorder or any underlying physical conditions which a you may have. This is an opportunity for professionals to consider your lifestyle and physical wellbeing and offer nicotine replacement therapy if you smoke, or general health promotion advice on diet, alcohol reduction and exercise. Your medication regime will be reviewed and discussed with you.
Record keeping standards following assessment include the Admission Record form, Inpatient Care Pathway Admission document, Care Plan and Risk Assessment of SystmOne, supportive observation records if appropriate, the unified assessment and HoNOS. Documentation relating to a person’s legal status, their rights and capacity must also be completed if applicable, as well as details on a person’s allergies. Following admission, further assessments such as the Rethink Tool, MUST, Waterlow, and Skin bundle may also be completed.
If you are too unwell or are unable to engage in assessments, staff will continue to attempt assessments until you are able to be fully involved in the process, and a rationale will be documented in the clinical record for a follow up plan.
You can expect to have your mental health reviewed by a senior medical professional e.g. a Consultant Psychiatrist or their deputy within 72 hours of admission. Where your mental health needs may require more urgent senior review the on-call consultant will be contacted.
You will be screened within 48 hours of admission to identify if Occupational Therapy specialist assessments or interventions beyond the group programme are required, taking in consideration reason for admission, current presentation, risk (current and historical), function and occupational performance, accommodation, physical health, and social environment/inclusion.
The Occupational Therapy team then aims to meet with you and introduce the service, therapeutic activities, and resources available within 48 hours. They also aim to gather information about occupational history, current interests, future goals, values, strengths facilitating and barriers to engagement in meaningful occupations.
The discharge team will also aim to meet with you within the first 48 hours to determine what support you will need prior to discharge in terms of housing, finances and other social circumstances.
Security on the ward
The Glenbourne Unit has a Locked Door Policy. The doors will be locked from the main Reception and down to the wards.
Staff will check the identify of every person coming or going and will intervene if there is attempted tailgating.
You will be required to have a leave assessment taken by a nurse before being able to leaving the unit.
When you return to the hospital, you will need to use the call bell at the main door – outside of reception hours (08.30-19.30), it may take longer for staff from the ward to attend reception to let your down to the unit.
Bridford has a walled garden which is accessible from the main unit area at any time. If you are under enhanced observations staff will be required to supervise your use of the garden.
To ensure the safety of everybody at Glenbourne, we will adhere to the search policy.
If you are bringing items into the unit, you will be searched. We have a dedicated search room in our reception area, that has a metal detector.
The level of search will be agreed as part of your care plan. It will range from nursing staff looking in bags, to going through each item and pocket with a metal detector. We also complete regular ward sweeps where two staff search each bedroom to ensure there are no restricted items. You are encouraged to let staff know if you would like to be present during the search of your bedspace. Staff will inform you if items have been removed and explain why. We understand being searched could be frustrating for you, however staff will treat you with respect and dignity during our search process and expect that staff are also treated with respect.
Visiting times
Our reception is open from 08:30 to 19:30pm, 7 days a week, and is the first point of contact for visitors and other professionals
Visiting times are between 13:00 – 18.30pm
There is a family room in reception that is available for visits from relatives or friends. Children can visit if accompanied by an adult.
Visits require booking in advance via reception (01752 435434). You will be given a 30-minute time slot, however allowances can be made for longer visits should visitors be travelling from out of area.
There is more time flexibility on the weekend following discussion with visitors and nursing staff.
Due to the size of the room, we can only accommodate 2 visitors at any time.
Meal times
Mealtimes are:
Breakfast: 08:00-09:00 (Mon-Sat) and 08:00-09:30 (Sun)
Lunch: 12:00-12:30 (Everyday)
Dinner: 17:00-17:30 (Everyday)
Supper: 20:30 (Everyday)
Patients will be asked about allergies and dietary requirements on admission e.g. vegan, halal, lactose free etc and the domestic team will order and organise meal options accordingly
There is a daily menu visible in the dining room, if a patient does not like the options that day, they are asked to inform domestic staff in the morning who can provide an alternative.
Tea, coffee and cold drinks are available 24-hours a day.
Personal food items can be brought in to the unit, labelled and stored in the kitchen in the patient fridge and cupboard
What activities are available to me as a patients?
You are encouraged to identify daily groups that you wish to attend both on the ward/off the ward and in the OT department:
- Physical health – such as physical activity groups, use of OT gym, discussion-based health promotion, local walking groups, gardening
- Life skills – such as cooking groups, graded exposure on public transport or shopping
- Creative groups – such as Art-based activities, Creative Writing, and Music
- Psychoeducational – such as goal setting, Mindfulness/Relaxation skills, and Wellness Recovery Action Plans
- Linking with community-based services – such as social inclusion groups, third sector services, and volunteering
If you do not feel able to attend groups or do certain activities given your current stage of recovery, you can utilise ward based activities reading, writing, colouring, knitting (communal areas), listening to music, utilising TVs in separate rooms, 1:1 time etc.
You also have access to the Sunflower Room. This is our rest and recovery room, which offers a calmer environment for you to utilise sensory activities, mindfulness, positive affirmations etc. You can also utilise therapeutic 1:1 time in this room with ward staff.
Access to internet on the ward
You may use your mobile, laptop, tablet etc. while on the unit.
There is NHS Wi-Fi to connect to. Only short charging cables can be used in your bedspace, which will be provided for you on the unit. It is essential that you do not take pictures or record others, due to confidentiality. If you are found taking pictures of others you may have your devices stored away.
You are encouraged to take phone and video calls in your bedspace, to offer privacy and protect the privacy of peers.
On rare occasions mobile phones may be temporarily removed for specific safeguarding concerns. If this happens, this would be individually discussed and part of your care plan.
What will my care look like once i have left the ward?
Aftercare will vary dependent on your locality and level of support you require on discharge. This may involve multiple services, community mental health teams, social support, care agencies, rehab placement etc.
This will be discussed with your and your family / carers (with consent) throughout your admission.
Often patients’ will be discharged with the Home Treatment Team (HTT) who attend the ward weekly to offer in-reach work, prior to patients’ discharge
The Home Treatment Team consists of a range of health professionals that assist patients in leaving hospital at the earliest opportunity and continuing their recovery at home, they assist the patient in identifying goals and help them continue to work towards their recovery.
On discharge, you will be sent a text message reminding you of the support available and the relevant contact details.