Patient journey Surgical Admissions Lounge (SAL) v1

Patient Journey Surgical Admissions Lounge (SAL)

Patient Information

Surgical Admissions Lounge (SAL)

• Author ID: GM 
• Leaflet ref: Surg 070
• Version: 1
• Leaflet title: Patient Journey Surgical Admissions Lounge (SAL)
• Date Produced: May 2022
• Expiry Date: May 2024

Introduction

A patient introduction on the day case journey through the surgical admission lounge:

• To be greeted by the nursing staff. 
• To be introduced to their consultant and anaesthetist.
• To be given a full explanation of the process from admission to discharge.
• To be given full up to date details of waiting times
• To be given full up to date details on bed allocations.

Aims

• For all patients to be fully informed while they are in hospital for day case surgery or planned overnight stays. 
• For patients to be always kept up to date.
• Patients to be aware of waiting times/reasons why surgery times could be delayed. 

Risks

•  Cancellations of theatre lists 
• Cancellations due to patient being unfit for surgery.
• Long waiting times
• Dehydration
• Low blood glucose 

Benefits

• Positive patient experience
• Patient safety
• Timely discharge
• Good communication
• Keep patient updated. 

Communicating with you 

Your patient journey, The surgical admissions lounge (SAL).

You will be greeted by a member of staff on your arrival and taken to your allocated area.

Your admission into the hospital will start with a series of questions, your nurse will then input the information onto the hospital computer system.

You will then be reviewed by your consultant and anaesthetist, and you can ask questions.

Depending on the list order for your operation you may have a wait of a couple of hours, an oral hygiene pack will be provided while you wait.

As with all surgeries there can be delays on the day for many different reasons, for example bed allocations and surgery taking longer than planned.

Once you are ready for theatre you will be taken to theatre by a member of the SAL team or theatre staff, you will have the opportunity to walk, or a wheelchair can be supplied.

If you require a bed overnight this will be allocated on the day of surgery, sometimes beds can take a while to be allocated, if this is not completed prior to your surgery all your belongings will be taken to the allocated ward by a member of staff.

If you are a day case patient, once your surgery is completed, a member of staff will collect you from recovery and you will be recovered on SAL for up to three hours before you will be discharged home

Additional Information

Here on surgical admissions lounge, we are implementing a new way of keeping patients up to date with as much information as we can provide prior to admission, so that patients are aware of what is happening around them while they are on their patient journey.

We are giving patients full details of what to expect once they arrive on the surgical admissions lounge, and how the process of the morning/afternoon will take place while they are waiting for their surgery, and the reasons why surgery waiting times are lengthy at times. We are providing information to patients from changes that may be made on that day or delays; the staff will keep you fully informed. 

Due to Covid restrictions at this current time, relatives cannot stay with patients on the surgical admissions lounge.

Diet and fluids will be given once you return to the surgical admissions lounge following your surgery. Please let the staff know if you have any dietary requirements. 

Some patients are required to pass urine before they are discharged from SAL. All patients that are day cases will need transport home with relative/friend, who must stay with them for 24hrs. If you have any transport issues, let the staff know once you arrive.

If any patient has dementia or a learning disability, a carer may stay but will also need to have a Covid PCR test. 

Please bring any current medications, dressing gown and comfortable footwear to wear to theatre. Please buy paracetamol, and have this at home once you are discharged, for regular pain relief. 

While on the surgical admissions lounge, there will be a few different theatre lists running; not everyone is on the same list.

Surgical embolism stockings will be required by all patients to wear for surgery, unless they have a health condition which is not appropriate when Flowtrons (DVT garment) will be used in theatre. These are to try and prevent blood clots in the leg - deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Some patients may also be given a one-off dose of Dalteparin; this is also used to prevent blood clots. 

If you have any other questions on the day of surgery, please ask staff on the surgical admissions lounge when they are completing your admission on the day, and they will more than happy to help.