The team looking after you

You’re in excellent hands with our dedicated healthcare team. We believe in transparent, compassionate care where you know exactly who’s looking after you.

During your stay, you will meet several members of the ward team who will introduce themselves. 

Your named nurse

Every day you will have a named nurse primarily responsible for caring for you. 

Easy to find: They'll write their name on the 'named nurse board'. We also encourage you to write helpful information on the board.

Your advocate: They coordinate your care and are your main point of contact.

Your healthcare team

You'll be cared for by a skilled medical team, led by a consultant (senior doctor) or a member of their team.

  • Your consultant has overall responsibility for your medical treatment and will always be involved in your care.
  • Other doctors who carry out a range of duties and procedures to support the medical team.
  • A matron will support your ward team and is responsible for the overall quality of nursing care.
  • Your ward sister, charge nurse, deputy, or nurse in charge is responsible for your safety and wellbeing while you are on the ward.
  • Staff nurses assess and plan your nursing care. They carry out and evaluate your nursing care with the help of registered nursing associates.
  • Nursing assistants are not registered nurses. They help other health professionals with your day-to-day care.

Depending on your needs, the team caring for you might also include a:

  • physiotherapist
  • dietitian
  • speech and language therapist
  • occupational therapist

You can recognise most of our staff by the colour of their uniform.

Questions or concerns

The nurse in charge is the best person to go to if you have any questions or concerns. Don't hesitate to ask - we want you to feel informed and comfortable!

If you have a concern that isn't being addressed by the ward team, you can ask to speak to the matron.

Your care on the ward

Your medical team see you each day to make a daily plan for your care. We want you to feel involved in decisions about your care. Please tell us if you:

  • need us to explain something more clearly.
  • need extra help or are in pain.
  • feel staff could involve you more in discussions about your care.
  • have any fears or worries about your care or treatment.
  • want to get a second opinion about your case or treatment.
  • want to find out about what research studies are currently open to patients, and how you can take part.

Staff shifts

Many of our staff work in shifts. At the end of each shift, staff will hand over information about your progress to the team on the next shift. This is to make sure staff coming on shift have the most up-to-date information about your care and condition.

Student health professionals

We might have student health professionals working on the ward under the close supervision of senior staff. If you do not want to be seen by students, please tell us. It will not affect your care in any way.

Other professionals you might see

Our team of housekeepers make sure our hospitals are kept clean.

At times you might see a member of our security team or a police officer on our wards, supporting our staff. The security team work hard to keep everyone safe. We do not tolerate violence or aggression in our hospitals.

What you can expect from our care

We're committed to ensuring you receive excellent care around the clock. Here's what you can always expect:

  • Immediate assistance: No delays if you need help to go to the toilet. 
  • Pain management: Effective pain relief tailored to your needs and preferences.
  • Adequate staffing: we always make sure that we have enough staff on duty. We monitor this at all times.
  • Hygiene support: Maintaining your dignity and cleanliness is our priority.

If there is anything else we can do for you, your family or carers while you are with us, please ask.

When you are ready to go home

The staff looking after you will make sure you have the support and advice you need when you are ready to leave hospital. This is sometimes called being 'discharged'.

You can find out more about going home on our discharge pages.