Ward 5B Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU)

During your stay on SAU

Assessment

• On admission to the unit, you may be advised not to eat anything, as some investigations require you to be taking clear fluids only. You can drink water unless you are advised not to by the nursing staff.
• You will be seen by a member of the team on arrival who will book you in and complete a set of observations. These will include taking your blood pressure and pulse.
• We may request a urine sample.
• You may also have a small sample of blood taken for testing.
• Some patients may have a cannula (small tube) inserted into a vein in their arm to allow staff to take a sample of blood for testing, enable access for medication and Intravenous fluids. The cannula will remain in place until initial assessments have been made, if you have any concerns at this point please discuss with a member of staff.
• If you require any pain relief or anti sickness, please approach nursing staff who will be happy to help.

You will be asked to wait to be assessed by either the doctor or Advanced Practitioner (AP). Please be patient, we know you are here but we may be seeing other patients who are unwell or need urgent attention.

• When the doctor or AP is available you will be taken to a treatment room to be examined.
• You can have a relative or carer present, or if you prefer you can request to have a member of staff with you during the assessment.
• Following this consultation, any necessary additional tests or investigations will be requested.

Investigations

• Some investigations may need to be arranged with other departments, for example with radiology (CT, Ultrasound and MRI), because of this there may be a long wait.
• Sometimes more than one investigation is needed, which may require you to come back to the unit the following day. If we can, we will give you a time for the test, however, this is not always possible and may mean you waiting again for some considerable time.
• If we are unable to give you an appointment time on the day of your assessment or you have to return the following day for a test, we will take your contact number to update you.
• Please be aware that the results need to be interrupted by a senior member of staff and you will have to wait for this.

Treatment plan

• Once you have your diagnosis, you may need surgery or further inpatient investigations. If this is the case you will be admitted under the surgical team.
• On SAU we have trollies designated for surgical assessment patients who require a short stay. If you need to stay for a longer period of time, we will transfer you to an inpatient ward.
• If you do not need surgery but we feel we would like to continue to monitor your symptoms, you will be given a time and date to come back for further assessment. If we can complete your treatment on this visit, you will be discharged. You may be referred for outpatient investigations or clinics, which will be arranged by the relevant department.
• Once you have been discharged, if you feel your symptoms are worse or you start to feel unwell, please contact the unit for advice. We can reassess patients up to 48 hours following discharge. After this time, please see your GP or contact NHS 111 for advice.

How to contact the ward

Telephone number: 0300 422 6685

Each year, we see many thousands of patients in our hospitals. Our aim is to provide the best care for everyone.

We want to hear about your experiences; what went well, and where we can continue to improve and do better for you, your families and our communities. You can leave feedback with our Patient Advice and Liaison team.

Please note: Smoking is not permitted in any building or within the grounds of any of our sites. 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.

Free Wifi

Free Wifi is available on all our wards. If you have any difficulty accessing this, please speak to a member of ward staff.

Mealtimes and catering

Please see note above under 'Assessment'

There are a variety of shops and restaurants in our hospitals. Read more about food and drink.

Ward Pledge

1. Your care will be evidenced based provided by registered nurses who will take pride in their profession and the uniform we wear: we will adhere to our professional standards, supported by our skilled health care support workers.
2. We will treat you as we would want our family to be treated: with kindness and compassion to protect your privacy and dignity.
3. We will communicate openly and honestly with you, advocate for you and be your voice when you don’t have one. There will be no decision about you without you or your family.
4. We will deliver high quality holistic care, focusing on your individual care needs. We will support you to be as independent as possible and treat you with kindness and respect. We will strive to maintain your privacy and dignity and respect your cultural values.
5. We will take pride in maintaining a clean, safe, clutter free environment which is welcoming to you, your visitors and our colleagues.
6. We are committed to regularly assessing your nutritional needs, protect your meal times and support your cultural and dietary needs. We will address nutrition concerns promptly and provide assistance where required in a suitable prepared space.
7. We will promote an open and honest culture. Listening and responding to your feedback and concerns promptly. We will use these as opportunities for learning and improvements in your care.
8. We understand there can be an element of waiting around for next steps in the emergency pathway. We appreciate this can be frustrating. We may not be able to tell you how long you will be waiting in SAU. This is because the emergency doctors are working hard to see to everyone who needs their help. We don’t know how many patients will attend each day and how much time they will require but we will do our best to get to you as quickly as possible.
9. Please approach us if you need painkillers or anti-sickness whilst you are waiting for your treatment plans and results. We are here to help you.