Day Surgery Unit

Heartlands: 0121 424 1385

Information for Patients

Welcome to the Day Surgery Unit at Heartlands Hospital Page 1 of 3

Version 3 Revised December 2010 Next Revision Date November 2013

Information for Patients

Welcome to the Day Surgery Unit – General Information

Before you come into hospital for your operation

  • Arrange time off work
  • Arrange for someone to care for children, pets and dependants for at least one day
  • Arrange for someone to collect you from hospital by private car or taxi
  • Arrange for someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours after you are discharged from the hospital.
  • If you develop a cold or other illness 48 hours prior to your operation, please contact us on 0121 424 1385

What you need to bring

  • All medicines, drugs or inhalers you are taking
  • Hearing aid (if worn)
  • Spectacles (If worn)
  • Dressing gown and slippers
  • Something to read
  • Do not bring in large amounts of money/jewellery

The night before or the morning of your operation

  • Have a bath or shower
  • Regular medication can normally be taken as usual. although you will have been given instructions at pre-assessment clinic
  • Wear loose or comfortable clothing appropriate to your operation
  • Remove make up, nail varnish and body lotion
  • Remove all jewellery (i.e. studs in ears, nose, tongues, tummy button, nipples or genitalia) Wedding rings may be worn.
  • Refrain from smoking or drinking alcohol
  • Avoid chewing gum, sweets and mints

On the day of your operation: You may drink water until 6:30am. Please take your normal medication at this time UNLESS you have been told not to by the nurse at Preoperative Assessment

Before you arrive
/ AM List / PM List
Light food e.g. toast / up to 3am / up to 7am
Water only / Up to 6:30am / Up to 11am
When you arrive at the Unit
/ 8am / up to 12 mid day
Operations session from / 9am – 12.30pm / 1.30pm – 5pm

When you arrive on the Day Surgery Unit

Please report to the reception desk where the receptionist will welcome you and check your details.

Please note that patients under 16 years old must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, who is welcome to stay with them at all times except during the surgical procedure.

For adult patients, it is not possible to accommodate relatives or friends, please bring in a contact number for staff to contact your relatives once you are ready for discharge.

Your surgeon and anaesthetist will visit you prior to surgery to check you are ready, and you will need to sign a consent form.

When it is time for surgery you will be escorted into the anaesthetic room, your details will be checked with you once again before you are given your anaesthetic. The surgeon and anaesthetist may see you in the ward area after the theatre session has finished.

Occasionally the anaesthetic affects your ability to pass urine. Depending on the type of surgery you have had, you will not be able to leave the unit until you have done so.

Following your operation you should not:

  • Drive a car for 48 hours
  • Operate any machinery or electrical equipment (including cookers, kettles and toasters) for 24 hors
  • Make important decisions or sign any important documents for 48 hours following surgery

How to contact us:

Day Surgery Unit Reception Wed – Friday 0121 424 0312

Day Surgery Unit nurses station 0121 424 1385

Additional Sources of Information:

Go online and view NHS Choices website for more information about a wide range of health topics

You may want to visit one of our Health Information Centres located in:

  • Main Entrance at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Tel: 0121 424 2280
  • Treatment Centre at Good Hope Hospital Tel: 0121 424 9946

or contact us by email: .

Our commitment to confidentiality

We keep personal and clinical information about you to ensure you receive appropriate care and treatment. Everyone working in the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.

We will always ask you for your consent if we need to use information that identifies you.

We will share information with other parts of the NHS to support your healthcare needs, and we will inform your GP of your progress unless you ask us not to. You can help us by pointing out any information in your records which is wrong or needs updating.

Dear Patient

We welcome your views on what you liked and suggestions for how things could be improved at this hospital. If you would like to tell us and others about your experience please make your comments through one of the following sites:-

  • NHS Choice:-
  • Patient Opinion:-
  • I want great care:- you can leave feedback about your doctor)

Be helpful and respectful: think about what people might want to know about this hospital or how your experiences might benefit others. Remember your words must be polite and respectful, and you cannot name individuals on the NHS Choice or Patient Opinion sites.

If you have any questions you may want to ask about your condition or treatment, or anything you do not understand or wish to know more about, write them down and your doctor will be more than happy to try and answer them for you.

Welcome to the Day Surgery Unit at Heartlands Hospital Page 1 of 3

Version 3 Revised December 2010 Next Revision Date November 2013