Packing for hospital

lostinrates

miggy wrote: »

Take a pen and paper - if only for writing a list of things you want your OH to remember!

Hope all goes well for you. x

Thank you.

pollypenny

I'm due for an operation at end of next week, so this is a very apposite thread.

I've never known towels to be provided in Welsh hospitals, actually DS had to provide own towels in Manchester.

Hadn't though of taking day clothes, either. Imagine I'll be discharged as soon as I am well enough to dress.

Mojisola

I've never known towels to be provided in our hospitals either and that's going back years!

Person_one

lostinrates wrote: »

Thanks, i hate dressing gowns but have one from last time so will wash and pack! And a towel. i don't think i have ever taken a towel, but would rather have my own.

I wouldn't take a towel, the hospitals have plenty, clean ones delivered every day, and if you bring your own it might end up tossed in with the hospital linen and disappear.

They have clean nighties and pyjamas delivered every day too, not the most attractive but perfectly decent. Most trusts supply foam slippers but they're not the best so slippers are a good idea.

There isn't a lot of room in most of those bedside lockers, so I'd say be as minimal as you can or you'll drown in clutter, one small toiletry bag, clean undies and a few good books. The staff can give you things like pens, earplugs etc. and I assume you'll have visitors most days who can bring and take away stuff, you're not going into prison!

The only absolute essential is your own toothbrush, the hospital ones are usually awful.

Mojisola

Person_one wrote: »

I wouldn't take a towel, the hospitals have plenty, clean ones delivered every day, and if you bring your own it might end up tossed in with the hospital linen and disappear.

They have clean nighties and pyjamas delivered every day too, not the most attractive but perfectly decent. Most trusts supply foam slippers but they're not the best so slippers are a good idea.

There isn't a lot of room in most of those bedside lockers, so I'd say be as minimal as you can or you'll drown in clutter, one small toiletry bag, clean undies and a few good books. The staff can give you things like pens, earplugs etc. and I assume you'll have visitors most days who can bring and take away stuff, you're not going into prison!

The only absolute essential is your own toothbrush, the hospital ones are usually awful.

Is this an NHS hospital or a private one? If you turned up at ours without a nightie, they might find a weird, threadbare one but you'd be told in no uncertain terms to get someone to bring your own from home. As for providing slippers and towels, I'm amazed!

Person_one

Mojisola wrote: »

Is this an NHS hospital or a private one? If you turned up at ours without a nightie, they might find a weird, threadbare one but you'd be told in no uncertain terms to get someone to bring your own from home. As for providing slippers and towels, I'm amazed!

Two separate NHS hospitals in two different trusts!

Why the amazement at towels? Towels are a pretty basic item in a hospital. A lot of patients are not able to care for themselves, the nursing staff have to help them and it makes far more sense for them to use hospital towels and then have them thoroughly laundered than have the patient's own damp ones hanging around being an infection risk.

Mojisola

Person_one wrote: »

Two separate NHS hospitals in two different trusts!

Our trust must be real penny-pinchers!

Mojisola

Person_one wrote: »

Why the amazement at towels? Towels are a pretty basic item in a hospital. A lot of patients are not able to care for themselves, the nursing staff have to help them and it makes far more sense for them to use hospital towels and then have them thoroughly laundered than have the patient's own damp ones hanging around being an infection risk.

I'm amazed because I've never known our hospitals to provide them.

Person_one

Mojisola wrote: »

I'm amazed because I've never known our hospitals to provide them.

I can't imagine that they don't, maybe its just not obvious if you don't ever ask for them.

On the ward I'm on at the moment, every patient is given a clean towel and a clean set of pyjamas every morning unless they specifically refuse them.

Torry_Quine

pollypenny wrote: »

I'm due for an operation at end of next week, so this is a very apposite thread.

I've never known towels to be provided in Welsh hospitals, actually DS had to provide own towels in Manchester.

Hadn't though of taking day clothes, either. Imagine I'll be discharged as soon as I am well enough to dress.

I'm shocked.:eek:

Mojisola wrote: »

I've never known towels to be provided in our hospitals either and that's going back years!

Dreadful :eek:

Person_one wrote: »

Two separate NHS hospitals in two different trusts!

Why the amazement at towels? Towels are a pretty basic item in a hospital. A lot of patients are not able to care for themselves, the nursing staff have to help them and it makes far more sense for them to use hospital towels and then have them thoroughly laundered than have the patient's own damp ones hanging around being an infection risk.

That's my experience as well as I said. Yes it would be a strange hospital that didn't supply towels and it never crossed my mind until this thread that some hospitals don't.

I would also think that someone's own towels may very easily end up in the hospital laundry. It probably wouldn't have crossed my mind to check although I never was aware of anyone taking in towels.