Privacy and Dignity
Treating you with respect and dignity and respecting your privacy are very important to us. We are continually looking at how we can improve the privacy and dignity of our patients, and try to provide care in surroundings that take account of their personal, religious and cultural needs, encouraging them to wear their ‘day clothes’ if their condition allows.
Men and women are cared for separately except in unusual circumstances when they have clinical needs that mean we cannot care for them in an area with patients of the same gender at that time. We do everything we can to ensure that hardly ever happens.
We have strict guidelines about how we keep and use the information we have about you and your illness. These details will only be passed on to health professionals involved in your care, during or after your hospital treatment and will be shared with you during your treatment as part of your Care Plan.
We routinely send information to your GP about your hospital stay and we might write to you after you are discharged to ask you about your experience and how we might to things better.
Your name and the name of your Consultant will be displayed on the board above your bed.
We will not share any information about you with anybody else unless they are directly involved in your care, or you tell us that we can.
If you need further care from other non NHS agencies after your stay, we will only give them the relevant information for your care with your agreement.
By law, everyone who works for the NHS must keep all personal information confidential and our Trust has very strict confidentiality procedures in line with the Data Protection Act.
Healthcare Students
As a teaching hospital, one of our functions is to train staff and help them gain experience. Student doctors, nurses and therapists may be working with the team involved in your care.
If you don’t feel comfortable with them being present whilst you are being examined, please say so, they will not be offended.