To help keep families and patients connected, and alleviate any distress, two new services, the Family Liaison Service and Personal Property Exchange, have been setup to support individuals keep in touch with friends, family and loved ones during a hospital stay.
Stacey Nutt, Deputy Director of Nursing and Patient Experience at DBTH, said: “As a Trust, we want to make sure that whilst we are doing everything to limit the spread of coronavirus within our hospitals, particularly in light of the Omicron variant, that we still fulfil our commitment to giving patient-centred care. We realise the anxiety it causes when a loved one cannot reach their family, so we want to make sure that we are supporting our community to keep those important connections going throughout care and treatment.”
Additionally, local residents are asked to nominate a spokesperson for any family members that are inpatient (if applicable) and to try and limit calls to once per day. Individuals are asked to avoid ringing before 10:30am as this is usually a busy time. Importantly, if the person you are trying to contact has a mobile device of their own, you are encouraged to contact them directly.
If you are unable to make contact your loved one by phone or cannot speak with the ward directly, please make note of the following at Doncaster Royal Infirmary. Bassetlaw and Montagu Hospitals respectively will be launching the same services in the coming week.
The Family Liaison Service
The Family Liaison Service Visitors helpline will be available for you to call if you are experiencing difficulties contacting the ward. They will:
- Pass on letters to loved ones.
- Arrange video calls using an electronic device supplied to the patient if they don’t have a personal device.
- Deal with general enquiries but the service will not be able to answer any specific requests about the patient’s condition.
Email the Family Liaison Service on dbth.familyliaisondbth@nhs.net or call them on 01302 648 064.
Personal Property Exchange
Friends and family members can bring items into the hospital for those staying on the wards via a drop off service, but please try to restrict items to a small bag. We suggest you bring essentials such as:
- A toiletry bag, nightclothes, comfortable shoes or slippers, underwear, glasses, hearing aid and a medication list.
- A communication device such as a mobile phone or a tablet (an iPad or similar) along with a charging cable.
- A contactless debit card if you wish to use the vending machines.
Please do not bring any valuable items such as jewellery or large amounts of cash. You can also arrange to collect their laundry items.
The drop-off service is located at the help desk in the main foyer of Doncaster Royal Infirmary (Gate 4 entrance, near to Costa Coffee) where items must be handed over directly to a member of staff.
Items can be dropped off or collected between 9am and 4pm Monday to Friday, please do not bring anything outside of these times.
For both of the above services please email the Family Liaison Service on dbth.familyliaisondbth@nhs.net or call them on 01302 648 064.