Visiting arrangements for the Emergency Department

In line with the Trust’s guidance on visiting during the pandemic we are continuing to restrict visiting to the Emergency Department. The Trust is constantly reviewing visiting restrictions at KGH and listening to the views of our patients and our staff.  We are mindful of the impact that Covid-19 continues to have on communities across the country and we are aware that Northamptonshire continues to be an area of concern.
 
This has not been an easy decision for us to make and we know that some of our patients and their loved ones will be disappointed. However, our priority is to keep our patients and staff safe and not having visitors on site at the present time will help us to do this. We appreciate the support we have received from the local community and want to assure you all that we are looking forward to welcoming visitors back to our hospital as soon as it is safe for us and them to do so.
 
We ask you to wear a face covering at all times in the Department and to wash your hands frequently. If you are mask exempt please ask a member of our reception staff for a visor and a sticker to alert staff to your exemption. 
 
Staff will also be wearing facemasks at all times. Please let us know if you find communication difficult as a result of this. We have resources available to help reduce the impact. 
 
We understand there may be upsetting or difficult circumstances when visiting would be possible for one person by arrangement and agreement with the nurse in charge. Any such arrangements will need to be on a case by case basis following strict procedure to ensure everyone’s safety.
 
Your patience and understanding is very much appreciated through these unprecedented time.
 
Dr Adrian Ierina
Clinical Director
Emergency Department

Are you the carer of a patient who lives with dementia, anxiety, confusion & other complex needs?

Johns Campaign supporting carers and their loves ones poster

We are working with carers to give them the opportunity to visit patient's outside our regular visiting hours. This is part of the national ‘John’s Campaign’, that recognises the important role of family members in the care of their loved ones whilst in hospital.

The campaign ensures that the carer of a patient who lives with dementia, anxiety, confusion and other complex needs is allowed to come into hospital to continue to provide the care for the patient and isn’t restricted by visiting hours. 

The benefits includes:

  • Maintaining familiarity

  • Reducing anxiety and distress

  • Allows for flexible and open visiting

The key focus behind John’s Campaign is a safe and open visiting culture, supporting care access to the hospital outside normal visiting hours. This will enable family members and carers to be with the person when they may be stressed, anxious, upset or lonely. The carer will then be on-hand to help with care needs, decision making and advocacy.

There should be one named carer per patient. If you would like to be a named carer, please speak with a member the ward team on which your loved one is a patient. They will be able to let you know how to get involved, including how to register.

Food

Sometimes friends and relatives like to bring food in for patients when they are visiting such as biscuits, cake, fresh fruit and juices. Please check first with the ward staff just in case the patient you are visiting has any dietary restrictions or difficulties in swallowing.
 
We generally do not encourage you to bring other food into the hospital from home, as there is a risk from food poisoning, if it is not stored correctly during transportation or in the hospital.
  
You should NOT bring in food that needs to be heated or cooked as there are no cooking facilities on the wards. Please always ask staff advice on the best way to store food brought in safely.
 
Relatives and friends are welcome to bring in their own drink, sandwich or snacks to eat whilst visiting at meal times as this can make the meal time experience more sociable especially for our older patients.

End of Life Care

At Kettering General Hospital we believe End of Life Care matters; ensuring quality of care meets the individual needs of patients who are between the last year of life and the last hours or days of life.
 
The last few days or hours of life will be different for each person and it can be difficult to predict what will happen or how quickly changes will occur.
 
It is important you feel able to ask questions in order to understand what is happening. Medical and nursing staff will be there to support you and to answer any questions you may have.

More information on our Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team.

Handwashing

To help us minimise the risk of infection we encourage all  visitors and patients entering and leaving the ward to cleanse their hands using the hand sanitisers available at entry points to the ward areas. 
 
If you are unable to use the hand sanitiser, please wash your hands with soap and water, at the nearest sink (at many ward entrances). 

Printable KGH maps and guides to access the hospital from partners AccessAble

You can find printable version of maps including, a road map helping you to find your way to Kettering General Hospital (KGH). Ward and department locator maps within KGH.

Mobile phones, tablets, portable personal electrical equipment and WiFi

Many patients like to bring with them their mobile phone, tablet or other portable electrical equipment to either keep in touch with friends and family or for personal entertainment – particularly as not all ward areas have access to television or bedside telephones.
 
The hospital cannot take responsibility for loss or damage of personal electronic equipment.
 
Patients and their visitors can access Public KGH Wi-Fi while at the hospital. This will enable people to connect their laptops, tablets and smartphones to our Wi-Fi network. 
 
Please do not use your mobile phone to take photographs of staff or other patients during your stay – this is an infringement of other people’s privacy and could result in action being taken against you by the individual(s) concerned.

Patients' Laundry

We encourage patients to wear suitable clothing during their stay, including day wear where possible.
 
To help us we ask that friends and relatives take home the patients dirty clothing in a sealed plastic bag to wash and bring in clean clothes.
 
This will helps our patients feel cleaner and fresher and reduce the risk of infection. Special clothes bags are available on the wards for this purpose, please ask ward staff if you need to use one.

Preparing to leave hospital

Once you no longer need care in hospital, as decided by the health team looking after you, you will be discharged. It is always our priority to discharge people to a safe and appropriate place.
 

Overnight Accommodation

We have some rooms available for relatives of seriously ill patients on the Intensive Care Unit. "Put-me-up" beds are also available for parents of children in our children's ward.
 
Sometimes relatives/carers wishing to stay on site can book single or double rooms (with allocated parking bays) through Optivo, the hospital’s staff housing provider. Please contact the Property Manager on 0203 202 0330 for details. 
 
Whilst most wards have regular visiting hours, they do not apply if your loved one is thought to be in the last days of life. Please feel free to stay with your loved one as long as you need to. If you wish to stay overnight please ask the ward how best we can accommodate this.

Spiritual and Pastoral Care (Chaplaincy) Service

The Spiritual & Pastoral Care Service (sometimes known as Chaplaincy) seeks to nurture and promote wellbeing, wholeness and recovery through spiritual, pastoral and religious conversations about of hope, meaning and purpose.
 
The Chaplains are here to be a listening ear and a helping hand for you, your family and friends during your stay in hospital. Chaplains are members of hospital staff trained to provide religious, spiritual and pastoral care to all our patients, visitors and staff. 
 
The Chaplains regularly visit the wards and are always happy to see patients or visitors.  They are available to listen and provide practical help and support. Outside of normal working hours we provide a 24/7 on-call service.  If you ask the nursing staff they can always contact us.  

Working alongside the Chaplains are Chaplaincy Volunteers who visit the wards during the week and  on Sundays . Our service is also supported by Roman Catholic Priests and Volunteers from St Edward’s Church in Kettering and neighbouring churches.

We also have a Multi-Faith Advisory Group, comprised of local people from different faiths and beliefs  (including Bahá’í, Buddhist, Hindu, SiKh, Jewish, Muslim and Humanist) who are able to visit in the hospital and minister as requested.
 
The Multi-Faith Chapel, near to the Main Reception, is always open and provides a quiet retreat in the midst of a busy hospital. It is a place for prayer and quiet reflection for people of all faiths and beliefs. A Multi-Faith Prayer Room (with washing facilities alongside), is also available in the main hospital behind the Treatment Centre.

If you would like a Chaplain or a member of the Multi-Faith group to visit, please call us on: 01536 492609, or email kgh-tr.chaplaincy@nhs.net or ask a member of staff to contact us on your behalf.

Smoke free environment

As from 6th June 2016 KGH has been designated a totally smoke-free site - both inside and out.
 
The smoking ban is across the whole of the NHS as part of the Government's campaign to improve the health of the nation.
 
To maintain this, people smoking on the hospital site can expect to be addressed by a member of staff or our security team and asked to put out their cigarette.

Giving Us Your Feedback

We would like to hear what you think

Listening to our patients, carers and relatives helps us improve the services we provide. We are here to listen, so we can learn from your experience. It is also beneficial when we receive feedback when things have gone well, so that we can build on good practice and continue to make improvements.
 
We understand that raising a concern can be difficult, especially when you don't know who to turn to. If you are unhappy about the treatment that you or somebody you care for is receiving, it may help talking to somebody directly involved. This might be a nurse, ward manager or doctor who will make every attempt to resolve your concerns.
 
If you're unable to discuss your concerns with a member of staff, or want to discuss them with someone in confidence away from the service, you can contact Patient Advisory and Liaison Service (PALS).  PALS is a free and confidential service for people who would like information about, or to comment on, any aspect of the services provided by Kettering General Hospital.
 
To contact PALS please telephone 01536 493305/ 493306 or email kgh-tr.pals@nhs.net.
 
If you have been pleased by the care that you have received, please do take the time to let our staff know – it gives us all a real boost and a thank you goes a long way. You can leave comments about the care you have received on the NHS Choices website or complete our Friends and Family Questionnaire.