We know people prefer the comfort of their own home, and recover faster there following a stay in hospital. 🏠
So when a patient is medically ready to be discharged from hospital, our teams will discuss plans with friends and family to help ensure a smooth and safe return home.
Here are six practical ways you can help someone who is getting ready to head home after being in hospital:
🔥 Check their heating, electricity and water is working and turned on ready for when they arrive home.
🗑 Remove trip hazards, clean any dirty dishes and throw away mouldy food.
💊 Pick up any prescriptions and make sure they have healthy food and warm drinks ready.
📞 Check they have a working phone so they can get follow-up care and ask for help if needed.
🚘 Arrange transport home from hospital and make sure they have weather-appropriate clothes for the journey.
💬 Know who to contact for help at home. In BANES this includes the Community Wellbeing Hub who can connect you with local organisations who can provide support.
⚠️ We’re expecting another busy weekend in our Emergency Department - as always we prioritise serious injuries and life threatening emergencies. If your illness or injury is less urgent you will be waiting longer, and we may redirect you to another service.
If you need help for a non life-threatening injury it could be quicker and more convenient to visit a Minor Injury Unit (MIU).
🏥 MIUs are staffed by an experienced team who are able to assess and treat a range of injuries from sprains and simple fractures to wounds and bites.
🏥 There’s no need to book an appointment - just turn up during their opening hours.
If you’re not sure if an MIU is right for your injury, contact NHS 111.
There are lots of things you can do to help make visiting someone in hospital safe and enjoyable 💙
If you are unable to visit because you're feeling unwell, our Family Liaison Facilitators can help you keep in touch. Search 'RUH Family Liaison Facilitators' to find out more on our website. 📲
If you have a cough, cold, diarrhoea, vomiting or any other infectious condition, it's really important to stay home and delay your visit until 48 hours after your symptoms stop. Norovirus is currently circulating and can spread very easily.
Thank you for helping us to protect our patients and community.
💙 This week we marked International Day of the Midwife, International Nurses' Day and National Operating Department Practitioner Day. 💙
To say thank you, staff were invited to celebrated with afternoon tea, where they also had the opportunity to enjoy cuddles with therapy dogs and arts and crafts, delivered by Participatory Artist Charlotte Stowell and @artatheartruh .
Hospital charity @ruhxcharity also handed out goodies including mini body balms and hand washes to help our hardworking teams take care of their skin throughout the work day. There was also the opportunity for quiet reflection in a special service in our Spiritual Care Centre.
Thank you to all of these teams for the work they do every day to provide high-quality, compassionate care. 🥰🫶
Our Eye Unit has had a makeover! 👀✨
The recent refurbishment has created a brighter, more welcoming and accessible space for patients and staff, thanks to the generosity of charity donations and partners.
New flooring throughout the department provides a seamless route for visually impaired patients, while improved lighting reduces glare and makes the clinic more comfortable for people with visual sensitivity.
Creating a family-friendly environment was an important focus for the project. A dedicated play area for children and comfortable seating aim to make visits less stressful for younger patients and their families.
New artwork by Sir George Pollock has been added in the waiting areas and corridors, helping to bring a sense of calm throughout the unit. 💙
The refurbishment also included a redesigned reception area, refurbished toilets and updated seating to completely transform the department into a modern and welcoming space.
📸 Some of our generous supporters recently visited the department and were thanked by the Eye Unit team for their incredible contribution.
Thank you to @friendsoftheruh and @tipcharity , whose support made this refurbishment possible. We would also like to give special thanks to the Pollock family and Friends of the Eye Unit for their support, alongside @artatheartruh and all partners involved.
The role of Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) has been evolving for centuries but has always been essential to safe, compassionate care in operating theatres. Today we're sharing a huge thank you for everything you do for patients and colleagues.
Happy ODP day! 👏
Cancer treatment closer to home 💙
Our new Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatment satellite clinic at Frome Medical Centre is helping people continue some cancer treatments locally, in a calm and welcoming setting.
Patients start their care at the Dyson Cancer Centre in Bath, and for those where it’s suitable, treatment can then continue in Frome with the same specialist nursing teams. For many people, that means less travel and a more familiar environment during treatment.
Since opening earlier this year, the clinic has already provided care for over 200 people and feedback has been really positive.
Brian Melksham, who is undergoing treatment in Frome, said: “I’m very happy going to Frome. It’s much more convenient and seeing the same friendly faces from the Dyson Cancer Centre is very reassuring. The care they give is first class.”
We’re incredibly grateful to the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group and community supporters such as the Richard Oatley Foundation, who helped make this possible, raising funds to purchase and install all of the equipment at the Frome SACT Centre so that we can provide care, closer to where it matters most.
📸 Photo 1 credit: Geoff Parselle
For International Nurses' Day, we’re marking the important contribution nurses make every single day across the RUH.
If you – or a friend or family member – have been cared for at the RUH, there’s a good chance that a nurse has supported you. They provide compassionate care on our wards and in outpatient departments, advocate for patients, deliver specialist clinical expertise to patients and staff, work on innovative research trials, support people through surgery and recovery – and much more.
Thank you to all of our nurses for the expertise, kindness and dedication you bring to every role, every day 💙
Has an RUH nurse made a difference to you or your family? We’ve love to hear your shout outs in the comments 👇
🚑 Our Emergency Department is extremely busy at the moment and we’re asking for your help to use the right service for your needs.
Our teams are working hard to prioritise patients by clinical need and this means if your symptoms are not an emergency, you may be waiting longer to be seen.
⚠️ Please consider if your condition could be treated elsewhere by visiting a community pharmacist, minor injury unit or contacting your GP.
⚠️ Use 111.nhs.uk for urgent care and advice if you're not sure what to do.
⚠️ For life-threatening emergencies and serious injuries, always call 999 or come to A&E.
Thank you for your patience and support.
Celebrating culture, care and one year of our new ICU 💙
Our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) team recently came together for their annual International Food Day event and to celebrate the first anniversary of the new ICU. 🫶
Organised by the ICU’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) team, the event was an opportunity for the team to share delicious homemade dishes from different cultures and celebrate the diversity within the team.
As well as good food and conversation, the event also gave the team the opportunity to reflect on the difference that the new ICU is making to all those who use it.
Thank you to everyone who contributed and helped us to create a better environment for our patients, visitors and staff.
🦻📦 This week we've been marking Deaf Awareness Week with the launch of Deaf Awareness Boxes across all medical and surgical wards.
The boxes have been introduced to help staff communicate with patients who are deaf or have hearing loss. 🥰
They contain a range of products and resources including whiteboards and notebooks with pens, spare hearing aid batteries, hearing aid storage boxes, as well as information cards and communication tips.
We'd like to say a huge thank you to @ruhxcharity for generously funding the boxes and their contents. 💙
Thank you Bernard and Jane 💙
This week we want to pay a special tribute to Bernard and Jane Rymer, who have stepped down after an incredible 20 years of volunteering with @friendsoftheruh .
Over two decades, Bernard and Jane have played a vital role in helping the charity support patients, families and staff at the RUH. Their work with Friends of the RUH has helped fund facilities, equipment and support services that make a real difference to people’s experience of care. 🫶
Recent projects supported by Friends of the RUH include funding an ultrasound machine for the Emergency Department, helping create a new clinic space in Dermatology, and providing sleeper chairs for families in the neonatal unit.
Bernard and Jane’s journey with the Friends began as gardening volunteers, and they went on to help transform outdoor spaces across the hospital. Today, the RUH has around 20 gardens and courtyards – from quiet places for reflection to welcoming spaces to meet and connect. 🌸
Later, as Trustees, then Treasurer and Chair, they guided the charity through challenging times with professionalism, commitment and care. Alongside supporting volunteers, the charity also runs the on site shop and B18 café, and provides valuable charitable funding to the hospital.
Bernard and Jane have spoken warmly about the Friends volunteers and the difference the charity makes. It’s not quite goodbye, as both plan to return to gardening roles in the future 🌱
Thank you, Bernard and Jane, for your dedication, generosity and lasting contribution to our hospital and community. You have made a difference that will be felt for many years to come. 👏
