After discharge
Orthopaedic
When can you go home?
Once the following discharge criteria are achieved you can be discharged home. The criteria is listed on the back of your ERAS goal chart please tick as you achieve the criteria, this allows you to monitor your own progress.
Your discharge will be led by nursing and therapy staff.
- X-ray taken post operatively
- Blood test taken (if all other criteria met on day one – you would not need to wait for results before being discharged)
- Eating and drinking adequately
- Pain adequately controlled on oral pain relief
- Discharged from Physiotherapy Team
- Discharged Occupational Therapy Team (patient undergoing Hip replacements only)
After discharge
If discharged before 7 days you will be under the care of Hospital at Home (H@H) once you are home. H@H is a team made up of Nurses and Physiotherapists. Visits will begin the day after your discharge between 08:00 and 18:30.
Nurses will commence your exercise regime along with the generic nursing roles, which include:
- Recording observations
- Pain management advice – e.g. Ice therapy
- General advice
- Onward community/H@H physiotherapist referral
- Anti-coagulant therapy
You will then receive a telephone call from the ERAS team approximately 3 weeks after discharge to check on your recovery / progress.
Colorectal
When can you go home?
Your daily goals help you to work towards your discharge criteria. Meeting the below criteria means you are safe to be discharged home – The criteria is listed on the back of your ERAS goal chart please tick as you achieve the criteria, this allows you to monitor your own progress
- You need to be medically fit (blood tests, blood pressure, temperature etc.)
- Stoma confident (if applicable)
- Eating
- Drinking
- Discharged by physiotherapy
- Bowels functioning (passing wind or if applicable, your stoma has worked)
- Pain adequately controlled on oral medication
After discharge
- Once you are discharged from hospital a member of the ERAS team will aim to telephone you the day after your discharge to see how you are now that you are home and to ask you a few questions.
- If you have any general questions in the days or weeks following your discharge you can ring the ERAS team on 01582 718169, there is a voicemail service so if needed you can leave a message and we aim to pick messaged up daily / every other day. Please allow at least 24 hours for a reply.
- If you feel unwell whilst at home e.g. uncontrolled vomiting, pain, a temperature or a possible wound infection then please call the Significant Concerns Advice Line (available 24/7) 07974259352. This will be answered by a senior nurse on ward 22 and they will handle/direct your call appropriately.
NOTE: If you are coming into the hospital after 10pm you will need to use the main hospital entrance as the doors leading into the surgical block are locked from 10pm – 6am.
Urology
When can you go home?
Your daily goals help you to work towards your discharge criteria. Meeting the below criteria means you are safe to be discharged home – The criteria is listed on the back of your ERAS goal chart please tick as you achieve the criteria, this allows you to monitor your own progress
- You need to be medically fit (blood tests, blood pressure, temperature etc.)
- Passing good amounts of urine
- Eating
- Drinking
- Discharged by physiotherapy
- Pain adequately controlled on oral medication
After Discharge
- Once you are discharged from hospital a member of the ERAS team will aim to telephone you the day after your discharge to see how you are now that you are home and to ask you a few questions.
- If you have any general questions in the days or weeks following your discharge you can ring the ERAS team on 01582 718169, there is a voicemail service so if needed you can leave a message and we aim to pick messaged up daily / every other day. Please allow at least 24 hours for a reply.
- If you feel unwell whilst at home e.g. uncontrolled vomiting, pain, a temperature or a possible wound infection then please call the Significant Concerns Advice Line (available 24/7) 07974259352. This will be answered by ERAS nurses during day time (7- 4pm) and by ESU nurses (4pm – 7 am) and they will handle/direct your call appropriately.
NOTE: If you are coming into the hospital after 10pm you will need to use the main hospital entrance as the doors leading into the surgical block are locked from 10pm – 6am.
Bariatric
After discharge
After your bariatric surgery you will be under the care of the obesity centre. For any general queries/questions please contact the Nursing hotline number on: 01582 497423. For any urgent queries you can contact:
Out of hours urgent queries: 01582 496611 and ask to speak to the surgical registrar on call (ask for Bleep 363)