Visiting Family and Friends

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). 

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.

Please be aware that the hospital has variable mobile phone signal and public WiFi coverage. As a Trust we are aware of this and are current making improvements to the public WiFi solution. More details to follow in due course.

The hospital cannot take responsibility for loss or damage of personal electronic equipment.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Chaplaincy Team is here to be a listening ear and a helping hand for you and your relatives during your stay in hospital.  As employed members of Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Chaplains are members of hospital staff trained to provide religious, spiritual and pastoral care to all our patients, visitors and staff.  

Chaplains will:

• Listen to your concerns
• Be available when you need them
• Accept your concerns as genuine
• Treat what you tell them as confidential

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.  In an emergency situation one of the Chaplains is always available on call.  

In addition to the Chaplains there is a team of Chaplaincy Volunteers who visit the wards during the week and help with bringing people to the Chapel for the Sunday service.

We also have a Multi-Faith group, comprised of local people from different faiths (including Bahá’í, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim) who are able to visit in the hospital and minister as requested.

 The Chapel of Peace, 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.

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

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 PALS.(Patient Advisory & Liaison Service.)

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

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. For staff who have gone the extra mile you can also nominate them for one of our CARE Smile Awards KGH Smile Nomination Form Word 2018.pdf [pdf] 425KB .

You can also leave comments about the care you have received on the NHS Choices website or complete our Friends and Family Questionnaire.