If you suddenly become unwell and need to be admitted to hospital with a medical rather than a surgical problem, you will most likely be seen by the General Medical team (see above). If your GP (General Practitioner) thinks you need to be admitted to hospital they will contact a doctor on the medical team to request admission. There is always a doctor from General Medicine on call 24 hours per day.

 

Your arrival at hospital will be expected but often there will be delays in seeing a doctor. In most cases you will be admitted to our admission and planning unit first and be transferred if necessary to a general medical ward later. Some examinations and tests will be undertaken by nurses in the Admission and Planning Unit and these help to prioritise how urgently you need to be seen. If blood tests are taken at this time, an IV (intravenous) line may be inserted and left in your arm. This is a small plastic sheath that sits in a vein. It allows rapid and pain-free access for medication or fluids to be given.

Other tests may include a urine test and an ECG (electrocardiogram) to check your heart.

 

You may be seen by the training doctors who then present your case to the registrar or the consultant. On the day of your admission you will be seen by the registrar but you won't usually meet the consultant until the next day when the whole team does a "ward round" to see all the patients who were admitted the day before. The tests that are undertaken and the treatment you receive are always done in consultation with the specialist.

 

Each ward has a charge nurse who is responsible for the patient care in the ward. If you have any questions or concerns, please ask to speak to the charge nurse.

The charge nurse, nurse specialists and allied health staff work very closely with the medical team in ensuring the appropriate patient care is delivered.

 

Your First Assessment
The doctor who assesses you will take a detailed history of your symptoms and ask about previous illnesses and what medications you are on. It is essential you bring to the hospital all your tablets and medications in their original bottles.
Part of history-taking includes asking questions about what you do for a living, who you live with or what support you have. You will also be asked about smoking, alcohol consumption etc. There will be other questions about your health designed to add helpful information to diagnose what is causing your symptoms. The doctor will then examine you. They will explain to you as they go the reason for the examination and then what tests or treatments are coming. You and, with your permission, your family can ask questions at any time during this assessment.

 

What Happens Next?
On arrival at hospital you will initially stay in the acute assessment area (APU). If you only need to stay 36 hours or less you may stay in this area, but if it looks as though you will need longer you will go up to an inpatient ward.
Often the immediate cause of an illness is not known and the general medical team may ask other specialists to see you. You may be transferred to another team if your condition could be managed better by another specialist.

When you are discharged your GP is notified about what has happened in hospital and any follow up plans. This happens in the form of an electronic discharge letter which is sent to the GP on the day of your discharge from hospital. You will get a copy of the letter.

You may be seen in the outpatient clinic after you have been discharged from hospital to follow up any outstanding investigations or to see how you have improved or tolerated medications.