Patients and visitors

Patient sat in bed talking to a nurse
  1. Picture shows the back of a wheelchair user wheeling up ramp and into building
    Meeting your accessibility needs
  2. Two members of staff transporting a patient in a bed
    What should I bring to hospital?
  3. Patient sat in bed talking to a nurse
    Advice and support for patients and visitors
  4. Patient and nurse during hospital appointment at St Bartholomew's Hospital
    Appointments

Received a text from us?

If you’ve received a text message asking whether you still need treatment for your health condition, don’t worry - it’s not a scam.

We are contacting patients on our waiting lists to help ensure they receive the right treatment as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, please contact your hospital

I cannot log in to complete the form/ I am receiving an error message

We are aware that some patients are experiencing difficulties logging in to complete their form. This may be because we do not have the correct address on file for you.

If this is the case, please don’t worry, your treatment will not be affected, and you will not be removed from our waiting list. Our team will contact you next week.

If you were able to complete the form, thank you. The information you have provided has been recorded and you do not need to do anything more. 

Visiting information and guidance

We welcome visitors to all our hospitals. To find out specific visiting times, please check with the hospital ward. Contact details can be found on hospital pages.

 

Patients and visitors

All visitors should report to the nurses/midwives station on arrival to the ward. 

We ask visitors to ensure that there are only 2 visitors at the patients’ bedside. Exceptions can be made for critically ill, learning disability, or end of life care patients. Please discuss with the nurse/midwife in charge. 

Children aged 16-18 on adult wards can have their parents stay overnight, unless it is not in the child’s best interest due to safeguarding. 

Outpatients

Those attending outpatient appointments that are not required to stay overnight can be accompanied by a family member, friend or advocate. 

Specialist units

Specialist units (such as neonates and ITU) will have their own criteria, and visiting should be discussed with the nurse in charge. 

Maternity

One birthing partner or companion may accompany to all obstetric ultrasound appointments. Two birth partners may accompany for the birth. 

During in-patient stay, a resident companion will be welcomed. Birth partners choosing to stay overnight are asked to please adhere to the local agreements. 

2 visitors may be allowed on the ward, as per local maternity guidance. Outpatient areas may be restricted to one companion. 

Children and young people

Parents, siblings, carers and friends/peers are encouraged to visit young in-patients. During an in-patient stay, a resident parent or carer will be welcomed through our commitment to a child-focussed and family-centred model of care. 

There may be exceptions in numbers of visitors allowed to attend the department, overnight stays, and open visiting. The nurse in charge will consider the individual needs of the child/young person. 

 

 

Keeping each other safe

Anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness should not visit the hospital. If you are feeling unwell, have a cold, or have had any diarrhoea and/or vomiting in the last 48 hours, we kindly ask you to refrain from visiting our inpatient wards and departments.

Please ensure you clean your hands before and after visiting a patient by using soap and water at the hand washing basins, or the hygiene gel located throughout our hospital. 

Visitors should refrain from sitting on patients’ beds and use the chairs provided. 

Public toilets are available outside ward entrances, the atrium, and restaurant areas.

What to expect when you visit

Visitors are important to our patients and their recovery.​ This is how we support visiting and keep everybody safe. 

 

Here’s what to expect when you visit:

We keep the ward safe

  • Tell staff at the nurses’ station when you arrive.

  • Keep to two visitors at the bedside. You can take it in turns.

  • We will be flexible for patients receiving end-of-life care and will consider individual needs.

  • Speak quietly and keep phones on silent.

  • Please bring items for patients, e.g. glasses, toiletries, suitable clothes and footwear.

We prevent infection

  • Use hand sanitiser when you arrive and leave the ward.

  • Stay at home if you have had cold/flu symptoms or vomiting/diarrhoea in the past 48 hours.

  • Follow infection control guidance from staff.

We protect mealtimes

  • We limit visiting at mealtimes so that staff can help patients to eat and drink.

  • We welcome relatives and family carers to help patients eat their meals.

  • Ask staff before giving food and drink to a patient - what they can safely eat may change.

We support rest and pastoral care

  • Our chaplains can visit a patient at any time.

  • We will facilitate visits from a patient’s own faith/religious leader.

  • Please allow patients time to rest and recover.

We keep each other safe

  • Please do not take photos or videos of anybody without their consent.

  • Children are welcome. P lease supervise them in the clinical environment.

  • Sometimes we may need visitors to leave if staff need to care for a patient.

  • We do not tolerate violence and abuse towards our staff, visitors, and patients.

We welcome questions and feedback

  • Ask any questions. We can share clinical information with one nominated person per patient.

  • Your views are important. Tell us what you think about our care.

We welcome carers

  • If you are a carer/young carer, please tell a member of staff. We will listen to and support you.

  • Some of the care you normally provide might need to change to keep everyone safe.

We are flexible

  • Our  wards have different visiting hours, but all are flexible.

  • Please speak to staff about your individual needs.

  • In exceptional circumstances, we may need to change or stop visiting, e.g. infection outbreak.

Electronic Consent

At Newham, The Royal London and St Bartholomew's hospitals, we are now using electronic consent forms instead of paper-based forms.

This new way of agreeing to your treatment gives you more time to consider your decision and discuss it with your family and friends at home before giving your consent. It also offers you a safer and more convenient experience.

Your personal information will be stored securely, and provide your clinical team with accurate information at all times.

Whipps Cross Hospital will be introducing electronic consent from March 2025.

Your questions answered

  1. How does the e-consent process work?
  2. Can I complete my e-consent at home?
  3. Is e-consent available in another language?
  4. Will I still have access to an interpreter when signing the digital form?
  5. Do I have to use digital consent if I don't want to, or can't?
  6. Can someone consent on my behalf?
  7. Where is my data stored, how is it protected?
  8. Why am I being contacted by Concentric?
  9. How do I know the message I've received is not a scam?
  10. Does it cost me to receive the text and open the link?
  11. Can my form be shared with someone else (potentially a paediatric patient and their guardian)?

How does the e-consent process work?

Data is entered into the digital consent application by a doctor or qualified healthcare professional. They modify the information in the form to meet your individual needs and this is shared with you via email or text message to review later.

After reviewing the information provided, you can document your consent to the proposed treatment or ask your healthcare professional for further information.

Excellent! Easy to understand and to sign. Thank you," said patient.

Can I complete my consent at home?

Provided your consent has been shared with you by the clinician in charge of your care, you can sign your consent via your smartphone or computer at home if you have access to the internet. You just need to use your finger or a compatible electronic pencil to draw your signature.

It allowed me time to read and absorb all the information prior to the procedure," said patient.

Is e-consent available in another language?

Yes, Concentric is available to view in multiple languages, which can be changed through a simple process on your web browser.

Will I still have access to an interpreter when signing the digital form?

Yes, you can still have access to an interpreter when signing the digital form.

The GMC’s Good Medical Practice guidance expects clinicians to ‘make sure that arrangements are made, where possible, to meet the patients’ language and communication needs’. Family members should not be used for the purpose of interpreting for consent discussions.

Where the use of a qualified interpreter is needed or has been used for your consultation, this is documented in Concentric.

Do I have to use digital consent if I don't want to, or can't?

Paper forms will still be available for a short time, and you can discuss this with the clinician in charge of your care at the time.

Can someone consent on my behalf? 

Yes, our process remains the same. If you are a parent, guardian, person with legal responsibility for another, you will still be able to sign on behalf of the person receiving treatment. For more information you can discuss this with your clinician.

Where is my data stored, how is it protected?

The Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is used for all hosting and data processing within a data centre in the UK. It is compliant with all healthcare information governance requirements. Once the consent episode is completed, a pdf version of the consent form is automatically transferred into the Trust’s Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems.

All data is protected in line with industry best practice.

Why am I being contacted by Concentric?

You may be contacted electronically after you sign your consent to complete a short survey. 

By completing this survey, you are helping us improve our services. However completing the survey is optional. While you can’t opt out of receiving the survey, you can opt out from completing it.

How do I know the message I've received is not a scam?

There are six key things to look out for to make sure the message you received is not a scam:

  1. Your text message will be addressed from “Concentric”.
  2. It will read ‘Dear [Name]’ and will provide a secure, randomly generated link which you can only open with the date of birth which you have confirmed with Barts Health
  3. Your email message will be addressed from “Barts Health Trust (via Concentric) notifications@concentric.health”
  4. It will be titled “Important information about your upcoming treatment”.
  5. It will include the Barts Health NHS logo and will read ‘Dear [Name]’
  6. The ‘View my information link’ will only be accessible by using the date of birth you have confirmed with Barts Health.

Does it cost me to receive the text and open the link?

No, this service is free.

Can my form be shared with someone else (potentially a paediatric patient and their guardian)?

Yes. Concentric has consent functionality which requires the parent/guardian’s consent, as well as the ability for the child to sign in parallel. For young people aged 14-17 there is an option to complete a consent form 1 or 2 depending on their ability to consent.

Keeping our patients and staff safe

We are here to care for you

But we will not tolerate violence and abuse

We know that being in hospital can be stressful and unnerving, and our staff will always do their best to ensure you or your loved ones receive the best possible care.

We are actively training our staff to spot the signs and de-escalate incidents, but we will not tolerate violence and abuse. In an emergency you will always receive treatment, but incidents of violence may be put on your patient record.

You may notice our staff wearing body-worn cameras while on shift. These cameras help protect both you and our staff, and will only be activated when responding to an incident.

We will always inform you before recording begins and all footage is stored under the Data Protection Act 1998. Please speak to the nurse in charge or a member of the security team if you have any questions.

Patients and visitors

staff speaking to one another

We care about your experience

We achieve some of the best clinical outcomes anywhere in the NHS, and we trust that you'll receive great care from our team of dedicated staff. If you’d like to give feedback or think there is something we can improve,  please let us know.