Priory 2

Priory 2 is a surgical ward that provides care for all adults undergoing major bowel surgery.  Developments in surgical techniques over recent years have resulted in many of these procedures being carried out using ‘Keyhole’ surgery. This advancement greatly reduces complications following surgery and often results in patients being discharged home after four or five days.

All of Priory 2’s staff have received extensive training with regards to this ‘enhanced recovery’ which aims to reduce the time you will need to spend in hospital following your surgery.  This process will begin when you attend ‘pre assessment’ where you will be provided with information regarding this advancement in our surgical procedures. This process will also be discussed with you when you meet your Surgeon and the Colorectal Nurse Specialists.

Our highly skilled staff members are here to ensure that the care you receive during your surgery will be of the highest quality.  Our professionalism will reassure you during this stressful period and we will at all times respect you as a person with your own individual needs.

Our multidisciplinary team will discuss with you all aspects of your care and agree with you a plan of care which will assure a prompt and safe discharge.  If required, provisions can be made to extend this care into your own home if additional support is required following your surgery.  It is a fact that some people will require more care than others following surgery but this should not delay your discharge as provisions can be made to provide you with help once you are discharged home.

Each patient is under the care of a senior doctor, a consultant. Working with the consultants is a senior house officer. The consultants on the ward are:
 
• Mr Cruickshank
• Mr Wheatley
• Ms Gill
• Mr Vairavan
• Mr Harper
• Mr Sintler
• Mr Mirza

The Nursing Team
You will be cared for by a trained nurse at all times during your stay.  They will introduce themselves at the start of their shift. They also wear name badges to help you identify them.  

The ward matron for Priory 2 is Julie Romano. The charge nurse is Rob Toovey.  

Other Healthcare Professionals
Physiotherapist and occupational therapists also visit the unit to see patients and talk with carers and relatives. The physiotherapists are usually available in the ward Monday to Friday to assist with patients’ rehabilitation

Social Worker
If any practical or domestic difficulties arise due to you being in hospital or if you are worried about how you will manage when you get home, the hospital social worker may be able to help, just ask the nursing staff for further help.

You may also have contact with members of staff from other areas who may not have specific uniforms eg,pharmacist, dietician, social workers, discharge co-ordinators.  Please feel free to ask to see their identification/name badges if you wish.
 
All our staff wear identity badges saying who they are and what they do. You can ask to see their I.D before they examine you.

Please feel free to share your experience of being a patient on Priory 2. Please e-mail your views to swbh.comms@nhs.net

On Arrival to Priory 2

You and your family/friends will be welcomed by a member of our friendly staff who will then take you to your allocated bed. You will be seen by your own team of doctors on the ward and you will be allocated a named nurse who will be
responsible for your care from admission until you are discharged, in her absence your care will be managed by another member of the ward team.  He/she will introduce you to the ward and routine, with your consent a series of
assessments will be completed about your general health, checking your blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respiration, obtaining urine sample and weighing you. You will be given information about MRSA, and the opportunity
to ask any questions.

Your name and the name of your consultant will be displayed on the board above your bed.

If at any time you need a nurse, press the large orange button on the bedside handset. A red light will appear, and at the same time a bell will ring intermittently until the nurse turns it off. 
 
Please be aware that the Trust is now a smoke free NHS. Smoking is not permitted in any building or within the grounds of any of our sites. You can smoke in specified smoking shelters outside the hospital building, speak to your ward staff for details. Information and support is available to any patients who wish to stop smoking. Nicotine replacement therapy is available to help reduce your cravings during your stay.
 
The Trust has a Zero Tolerance policy toward violence, threatening behaviour, physical, verbal, racial abuse or discrimination against/by staff, patients or visitors.    
  
Patient ID Bracelets
Patient ID Bracelets are worn to ensure correct identification and safeguard misidentification errors before undergoing any procedures, such as, receiving medication or taking you to the Theatre. 

Only the following information will be recorded onto the ID bracelet:

1. Last Name
2. First Name
3. Date of Birth
4. Patient’s Hospital Number or NHS number (when available)
5. NHS Number (when available)
6. Gender

Should the ID bracelet become illegible or be removed, please let staff know.   
 
Life on the Ward 

Catering

Meal times on the ward are as follows: 
 
Breakfast:      8.00 am   
Lunch/Dinner:    12.00 pm 
Supper:      5.00 pm  

You will be asked to choose your meal either in the morning or the night before. If you have any special requirements, or can’t see anything on the menu that suits you, please tell the ward staff.  Special menus are available on request; these include vegetarian, kosher, afro-Caribbean and halal meals.

We prefer that patients and visitors do not bring any food items into the hospital, however you may discuss with the nursing staff ‘safe foods’ which may be brought into the Hospital. Food items must not be stored in or on the patients locker except for recommended ‘Safe Foods’ that nursing staff have agreed to with patients/visitors.

The Trust does not allow or provide facilities for re-heating food and regretfully does not allow drinks to be served to relatives/visitors paid or unpaid.

Ward Rounds
Ward rounds will take place at approximately 8.00 am. We invite you to share your opinions and where previously arranged, your family can to listen to the treatment that is to be planned.  
 
Leaving the Ward
The nurses caring for you are responsible for your safety and well-being during your stay. If you wish to leave the ward, please tell one of the nurses where you are going. 
 
Keeping mobile
Unless you are medically advised not to, it is advisable to move around regularly to encourage circulation, prevent stiff joints and reduce the risk of pressure sores.

Drug Rounds
Please tell us if you are taking any regular medications, and if you have brought them with you, please pass them to a member of staff who will store them safely. Nursing staff administer medication regularly, usually before mealtimes and last thing at night. If you need it between these times, please let the nurses know.

Tablets and medications
Some of the tablets used before admission may need to be changed in hospital, others may look different but may contain the same drug that was used at home.  When you leave, we will give you a week’s supply of the tablets you
need to keep taking. If you are unsure, please ask one of the nurses.

Pain Relief
If you need pain relief, it is readily available, please ask a member of the nursing staff. Most pain relief is given at meal times, but please let somebody know if your pain is not well controlled.

We have a pain specialist nurse, who can give expert advice to help eliminate pain and make you more comfortable.

Sleep
It may be difficult to get to sleep in the hospital if you have problems please tell nursing staff, who can advise you, and if needed can give sleeping tablets, or a cup of tea!

Going home
Discharge planning will begin as soon as you arrive in hospital, your nurse will co-ordinate this. This may involve other members of the nursing and medical team.

During your stay, it may be necessary to transfer you to another ward. This depends on the length of your stay and we will try to keep moves to a minimum.

Transport
If you can get in a car, we ask you to arrange for a family member or friend to pick you up. If you cannot travel by car or nobody is available to pick you up, we will arrange transport home from the hospital. This may be a hospital car,
ambulance or similar depending on your need.

Sickness benefits claim
Please ask one of the nurses if you need a sick certificate for your place of work.
 

Priory 2 is on the second floor of the main building at Sandwell Hospital.