Hospital visits and stays

Hospital treatment is free if you are ordinarily resident in the UK.

The following services and treatments are free to all in NHS hospitals:

• Accident and emergency services
• Family planning services
• Treatment for most infectious diseases, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Treatment required for a physical or mental condition caused by torture, female genital mutilation, domestic violence or sexual violence

 

United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has three main hospitals:

• Lincoln County
• Boston Pilgrim
• Grantham & District

The trust provides a wide range of healthcare services to meet the needs of patients, delivered by highly trained staff and volunteers.

 

Lincolnshire Community Health Services

Lincolnshire Community Health Services provides a broad range of health services in the community, including four community hospitals:

• County Hospital, Louth
• John Coupland in Gainsborough
• Skegness Hospital
• Johnson Community Hospital in Spalding

They also provide community nursing and specialist nursing, services for children and families, sexual health services and therapies, some GP practices, walk in centres and out of hours services.

 

Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health, dementia and substance misuse services to Lincolnshire’s adults, as well as specialist services for people who live in other areas of the East Midlands. The trust’s website provides information about the range of different services available and how to get involved.

Find hospitals near to you.

 

Choosing a hospital or consultant

If you are referred for your first outpatient appointment then, in most cases, you have the right to choose which hospital in England to go to. This will include many private and NHS hospitals that provide services to the NHS.

You are also able to choose which consultant-led team will be in charge of your treatment, as long as that team provides the treatment you require.

Therefore, if you wish to be treated by a particular consultant for a procedure, you can choose to have your first outpatient appointment at the hospital where the consultant works and to be treated by that consultant's team. But this doesn't necessarily mean you will be seen by the consultant themselves.

This choice is a legal right, if you are not offered a choice at the point of referral, ask your doctor why and say that you wish to go through your options. If you are still not offered, or refused, a choice, contact your local CCG.

Note: if a GP wants to refer you for a service or treatment that they think is best for you but is not routinely offered by the NHS, then the process is different. The GP will have to submit an Individual Funding Request (IFR) to your CCG and provide details of where they want you to go. CCGs will publish information about individual funding requests on their website. You can find out who your local CCG is.

You do not have a legal right to choice if:

• you need urgent or emergency treatment
• you are serving in the armed forces
• you are accessing maternity services
• you are detained under the Mental Health Act
• you are detained in or on temporary release from prison, in court, an immigration removal centre or a secure children's home
• you are referred to high-security psychiatric services, or drug and alcohol misuse services provided by local authorities

Visit GOV.UK to read more about your legal rights to choice in the NHS.

 

Booking appointments

Once you have decided on a hospital, you can book your first outpatient appointment through the NHS e-Referral Service.

Depending on your circumstances, you could be admitted as:

• an outpatient – you will go to hospital for an appointment but not stay overnight
• a day patient (day case) – you will be given a hospital bed for tests or surgery, but will not stay overnight. This can include treatments such as minor surgery, dialysis or chemotherapy
• an inpatient – you will stay in hospital for one night or more for tests, medical treatment or surgery.

 

Admission letter

Once your hospital appointment is booked you'll receive an admission letter, which provides you with details such as your hospital admission date or the ward you are going to be in. If you need to follow any specific instructions before your treatment, then those are also included in the letter.

You can find out more information about the contents of an admission letter.

 

Cancelling and rearranging appointments

If you are unable to attend the allocated appointment, inform the hospital in advance and they will try to arrange a new appointment. Many appointments are wasted each year because patients do not turn up on the day.

If you don't come for your appointment, you will lose your referral and will have to ask your GP for a new one. This also means the waiting time clock will start again.

If you happen to fall ill in the weeks before your appointment, let the hospital know, especially in cases of diarrhoea and vomiting. You may be asked not to come and be offered a new appointment. This is to help prevent and control the spread of infections in the hospital.

Further information about cancelling and rearranging appointments is available on the NHS website.

 

Admission form

Upon your arrival at the hospital, you will need to fill in a submissions form and provide details for the person you named as an emergency contact.

If you have any special needs that you haven't mentioned prior to your arrival, state those on the admission form. You might want to discuss:

• any routines you have
• specialist equipment that the hospital may not be able to provide
• having a carer present with you at certain times
• access to facilities, such as bathrooms and toilets
• using a fixed loop or subtitles for television or radio

If you've been referred to hospital for an operation or test and you need to stay overnight, it means you're being treated as an inpatient.

When you arrive at the hospital, you will be welcomed by a member of staff who will explain the processes to you and what to expect. You will be given an identity bracelet to wear at all times while you're in the hospital.

While you're in hospital, you should be involved in all decisions about your treatment. If you wish, staff will keep members of your family or friends informed about your progress.

More information about staying in hospital as an inpatient is available on the NHS website.

If you've been referred to hospital but don't need to stay overnight, it means you're being treated as an outpatient or a day case.

You have the right to choose which hospital to go to for your outpatient appointment and which consultant-led team will be in charge of your treatment.

Once your appointment is confirmed with the hospital, you will receive an admission letter from the hospital that includes everything you need to know about your appointment.

More information about what to expect as an outpatient or a day patient, including what to expect on the day and during your consultation, is available on the NHS website.

Details of visiting someone in hospital will vary depending on which hospital and which department you are visiting. You should check with the hospital for more information.

 

Visiting hours

Most hospitals have times at which you can visit your friend or relative. Check with the relevant hospital for information about when you can visit, and bear in mind that different wards often have different visiting times.

If you are unable to attend during visiting hours, talk to the member of staff in charge of the ward to arrange an alternative time to visit.

Hospitals encourage relatives and friends to visit patients. However, patients can get tired very quickly. For this reason, the number of visitors each patient is allowed is usually restricted, and it might be necessary to stagger the visitors so they come at different times.

 

Hand hygiene

When visiting someone in hospital, always clean your hands using soap and water, or alcohol hand rubs. Do this when you enter or leave a patient’s room or other areas of the hospital.

 

Illness

If you have a cough, cold, diarrhoea, vomiting or any other infectious condition, contact the ward for advice before visiting.

 

Presents for patients

Patients like to receive gifts while in hospital. Most hospitals encourage visitors to bring gifts such as fruit or books and magazines, but it is important not to clutter the patient's bed area. Check with the ward staff before bringing someone flowers.

More information about visiting someone in hospital is available on the NHS website.

An A&E department (also known as emergency department or casualty) deals with genuine life threatening emergencies, such as:

• loss of consciousness
• acute confused state and fits that are not stopping
• chest pain
• breathing difficulties
• severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
• severe allergic reactions
• severe burns or scalds
• stroke
• major trauma such as a road traffic accident

Less severe injuries can be treated in urgent care centres or minor injuries units. A&E is not an alternative to a GP appointment.

If your GP is closed you can go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111, which will direct you to the best local service.

Not all hospitals have an A&E department, find your nearest hospital with an A&E department.

Urgent treatment centres are a facility you can go to if you need urgent medical attention but it's not a life-threatening situation.

At the moment, the NHS offers a mix of walk-in centres, urgent care centres, minor injury units and urgent treatment centres, all with different levels of service.

Conditions that can be treated at an urgent treatment centre include:

• sprains and strains
• suspected broken limbs
• minor head injuries
• cuts and grazes
• bites and stings
• minor scalds and burns
• ear and throat infections
• skin infections and rashes
• eye problems
• coughs and colds
• feverish illness in adults and children
• abdominal pain
• vomiting and diarrhoea
• emergency contraception

You may be referred to an urgent treatment centre by NHS 111 or by your GP. You can also just turn up and walk in.

Find your nearest urgent care centre.

For details on Lincolnshire’s urgent treatment centre wait times, download the free NHS smartphone app WaitLess

Going into hospital can be a worrying time for anyone. But it can be particularly worrying and stressful for someone with a learning disability.

If you or the person you care for needs help or advice while in hospital, ask a member of staff or contact the hospital's Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), or the Mencap Direct helpline on 0808 808 1111 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).

More information about visiting hospitals with a learning disability is available on the NHS website.