Going Home
If you are a Day Surgery patient you will usually go home on the same day and will not require an overnight stay.
Inpatients who do require an overnight stay will usually be ready for discharge at 9am on the planned day of discharge.
Your discharge date and time will be determined by your consultant based on your recovery process. If you are having a general anaesthetic, please bring an overnight bag, even if you expect to go home the same day.
You will be given a letter for your GP and treatment room (if needed). You may need medications on discharge and these will be prescribed by the medical team and provided to you before you go home by our in-house Pharmacist. Any medications brought into the hospital by you, will be returned to you. The clinical team will give you verbal and written discharge patient information which includes post-surgery advice for your ongoing recovery.
If you are assessed as needing mobility aids, these will be provided to you by our physiotherapy team before you leave.
Any other support requirements assessed and identified during your stay, which are related to your surgery, will be arranged via community referral by our nursing team. If you foresee a requirement for any other community support, please discuss this with your GP prior to coming to hospital. If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know in advance of your admission.
It is ESSENTIAL that you have an identified responsible adult to accompany you home. If you have had a general anaesthetic, you should ensure someone is with you at home for at least 24 hours.
If you expect that there may be discharge problems, please let us know as early as possible.
Driving After Your Procedure
You will not be able to drive yourself after any procedure.
Specific advice about driving after your procedure will be provided by your consultant and our clinical team. Please ensure you follow their guidance to ensure a safe recovery.
You should only return to driving if you are confident that you can safely control your vehicle.