During Your Stay
Preparing for Your Stay
What to bring
For all patients
The Portland Hospital provides many items for your personal comfort such as towels and soap. We suggest you bring items of a personal nature including:
- Nightclothes
- Dressing gown
- Slippers
- Face flannel
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Personal toiletries
- Any medication you are taking on a regular basis
- Copies of medical information (x-rays, scans, records, etc)
- Admission paperwork not previously submitted to the Reservations department
For maternity patients
If you are a maternity patient, you may also like to bring these additional items:
For labour:
- Water spray for the face
- Small natural sponge or face flannel
- Lip balm
- Pair of loose-fitting socks
- Hair band to keep hair off your face
- Massage oil
- CD player and CDs if you would like music
- Camera and/or video
- Hospital gowns are available for your use in labour
- Sanitary pads and disposable pants are also provided by the hospital.
For your newborn baby:
The hospital provides the following for your baby during your stay:
- Disposable nappies
- Baby night gowns
- Baby blankets
- Towels
- Cotton wool
All you will need to bring for your baby is an outfit to go home in. A car seat for the newborn baby is also essential for your baby’s safe journey home.
For child patients
If you are preparing for the admission of a child, please note that the hospital has a large playroom with Play Specialists available from Monday to Friday. The playroom is fully equipped with toys and games, but if your child has a favourite toy, book or video please feel free to bring it with you.
Day case patients
Day case patients may be cared for in shared accommodation. Your Consultant will advise you when you are ready to go home. Please note that if a patient has undergone day care it is required that they are discharged in the care of a ‘responsible’ adult and that they will not be unaccompanied overnight. If this is not adhered to by patients it will be necessary to sign a ‘self-discharge’ form.
Valuables
We advise you to ask relatives or friends to look after your valuables and money and not keep them with you. If you cannot arrange for these goods to be kept for you, there are small personal safes located in all patient rooms. The hospital will not accept any liability for any personal valuables or money kept in the safes as we are not able to monitor their usage and access by patients or their families and their visitors.
Medicines from home
You may be asked to bring tablets or medicines which you are currently taking at home. If this is the case, please show them to the nursing staff and any doctor who visits you following your admission.
Electrical appliances
For safety reasons, the hospital’s engineers must test all personal electric items before they are used in our rooms. Please request this service from a member of the ward staff on arrival.
On arrival
On arrival at The Portland Hospital please report to the main reception desk. A member of our front of house staff will meet you, escort you to your room and explain our facilities for your comfort and care. Our admitting personnel will visit you in your room to check that your personal and insurance details are in order and to collect a deposit as appropriate.
Hotels
The Portland Hospital has negotiated preferential rates with nearby hotels and apartment accommodation for family and friends of patients. Please refer to our useful links page for further information.
