Neuroscience Ward
There are 76 beds within the Neuroscience Ward which is divided into five areas:
- Neurosurgery: three ward areas
- Blue area
- Red / High Care area
- Green area
- Neurology (Purple area)
- Neurosciences Day Case Investigation Unit
The Neuroscience Ward is on Level 2 of the West Wing at the John Radcliffe Hospital.
Neuroscience Outpatients is on Level 3 of the West Wing at the John Radcliffe Hospital.
The medical team
You will be under the care of a consultant. Your consultant will have other doctors working on his/her team, including a registrar and senior house officers (SHOs).
Your medical team will review you and talk to you daily. If you or your relatives would like to speak to one of the doctors in your medical team, please ask the doctors on the ward round to arrange this, or ask the nurse looking after you to arrange a time and date.
The full medical team are on duty: Monday to Friday from 9.00am - 5.30pm
However, during these hours some of the doctors will be in clinics or in surgery.
Medication
Some of your medication will be stored in the lockable section of your bedside locker - known as the POD (patient's own drugs) - and they will be dispensed from there. Other medication will be kept in the treatment room.
Telephone enquiries
We appreciate that family and friends will want to telephone the ward to ask about your well being. We are happy to help but we do ask that these calls are kept to a minimum.
Telephone enquiries can be made from 11.00am. This allows for nurses to care for patients and for doctors to see patients and plan care. We suggest that one person is nominated to make enquiries and then share information with others, allowing nurses to use their time as efficiently as possible for the benefit of all patients on the ward.
Find us and contact us
Neuroscience Ward
Level 2, West Wing
John Radcliffe Hospital
Headley Way
Headington
Oxford OX3 9DU
Car Park 3 is the main car park for the West Wing and Children's Hospital.
Telephone numbers
On admission you will be allocated a bed. Each bed has a number and there is a nurses' station nearby with a telephone for any enquiries.
There is a paid-for telephone service provided by Hospedia for patients who do not have their own mobile phones.
Main Reception
Tel: 01865 231526
Monday to Friday 8.00am - 6.00pm
Neuroscience Ward
- Blue area: 01865 234912 / 234040
Bay 1 and 6; Room 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 21
- Red area: 01865 234260
Bay 34; Room 32, 33, 35, 36, 37 and 38
- High Care area: 01865 231599
Bay 29; Room 30, 31, 40 and 41
- Neuroscience Green area: 01865 231400
Bay 27 and 28; Room 42, 43, 44 and 45
Neurology Purple Area
Tel: 01865 231789
Neuroscience Day Case Investigation Unit
Tel: 01865 231643
Bay 50 and 51; Room 46, 47, 48 and 49
All telephones will be answered as soon as possible. Please be patient if there is a delay as the nurses may be busy caring for patients.
Visitors
Please see Visitor FAQs.
During visiting times the doors will be open and visitors are free to come and go. At all other times the doors are locked and entry is via a video intercom system.
If you are having surgery, please check with the nurse what would be the most appropriate time for visitors. Some patients are scheduled for surgery in the late afternoon, and therefore may not be well enough to have visitors the same day.
Although there is no Trust policy on young children visiting relatives, we advise that babies and young children do not come onto the ward, especially if they are known to have an infection. Please ask your nurse if you have any questions about this.
Please also note:
- we have a quiet time on the ward between 1.00pm and 2.00pm
- we allow only two visitors at the bedside at any one time; if there are more than two, they are welcome to wait in our reception area until the first visitors have left the bedside
- we are unable to accommodate relatives overnight: in exceptional circumstances, permission for an overnight stay may be granted by the most senior nurse on duty and assessed daily on an individual basis.
For websites listing local accommodation, please see 'Accommodation for relatives'.
Flowers
We regret that we cannot allow flowers on the Neuroscience Ward, due to Infection Prevention and Control.
Infection Prevention and Control
Please see 'Infection Prevention and Control'
Privacy and dignity
Each area consists of a number of bays containing four beds, and side rooms. Each bay or side room has an en-suite shower room with wheelchair access and a seat to sit on whilst having a shower.
Occasionally we have to move patients to a different bed space or to another area on the Unit. We only do this when there is no other alternative.
Side rooms are usually allocated on the basis of medical need for patients who are at risk of infection or those who are critically ill. Side rooms cannot be requested or guaranteed on or before admission.
We try to have separate bays for men and women. In exceptional circumstances, when there is no alternative, we may put men and women in the same bay while waiting for an appropriate bed to become available. This should be for no more than 24 hours.
We expect all staff to do their best for you and we expect them to treat you with dignity and respect and take steps to preserve your privacy.
Similarly we do not expect our staff to be subjected to any form of verbal abuse, threatening behaviour or violence in anyway.
Male / female nurses
We have both male and female nurses. If you prefer to be cared for by a nurse of the same sex as yourself, please ask one of the nurses. We will try to meet your request.
Whiteboards
When you first arrive we will ask your permission to put your name on whiteboards near the nurses' stations. This allows healthcare professionals to find you quickly on the ward.
There are curtains around each bed to maintain your privacy and dignity. It is possible for patients in the bay to overhear conversations between yourself and other people. If you wish, we can show you to a private room if you need to be undisturbed.
Window blinds
On all windows, including the doors, there are blinds that can be closed. Please remind healthcare professionals to close them if needed.
What to bring
- Please see 'Staying in hospital'
- Day clothes - we recommend that you wear loose clothing, e.g. tracksuit bottoms and T-shirt, and sensible footwear such as trainers especially if you are having regular physiotherapy or occupational therapy.
- Entertainment - personal MP3 / CD players, magazines / books, needlework, playing cards.
- A pen would be helpful for filling out menus.
If you have been admitted to hospital as an emergency we will ask your relatives to bring in the above items. The ward will provide essential items in the meantime.
There is very little storage space for each patient on the ward so it would be helpful if relatives take home items for laundering on a regular basis. This is also in line with infection control regulations.
We are unable to provide a laundry facility on the ward; please do not bring in excess clothing.
Patients' property
Please do not bring or keep valuable personal possessions with you during your stay in hospital due to the risk of damage or theft. The ward and Trust cannot take responsibility for such items.
If you wish to keep valuable or personal possessions with you then we will ask you to sign a disclaimer accepting full responsibility for their safekeeping. If necessary, money and jewellery may be stored in the hospital safe at the Cashiers Office.
If for any reason you are transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, we will pack up your belongings on the ward and ask your relatives to collect them. We are unable to take responsibility for the safekeeping of your belongings.
Meals
The Neuroscience Ward uses a system at mealtimes called 'CHOW'. The initials outline how we prepare for mealtime:
- Clear and clean the table
- Hand wash
- Offer assistance
- Wear blue apron
A bell is rung before mealtimes to alert staff to help with CHOW before meals are served.
Mealtimes are expected to be 'protected'. This means that, wherever possible, you will not be disturbed during your mealtimes to have investigations or tests. Please let your nurse know if you are disturbed during a mealtime and we will do our best to change the time of your investigation. If you miss your meal please ask the housekeeper or nurse to order you a snack box.
We will help you with your meal if you need it. We are happy for your relatives to help you with your meals if they would like to.
- Breakfast: 7.30am - 8.30am
- Lunch: 12.30pm - 1.30pm
- Dinner: 5.30pm - 6.30pm
Drinks are served after meals and at 10.00am and 3.00pm. Biscuits and cakes are also offered.
Food from home
There is a fridge available for patients who require special dietary food items brought in from home. Due to limited space this cannot be extended to all patients. Extra food will need to be brought in on a daily basis to make sure that it's fresh. We regret that we are unable to provide a microwave for patients'/relatives' use, but there is 24-hour vending available in the 'onthree' restaurant on Level 3 of the main building.
Barrier nursing
Barrier nursing means that all staff looking after you will wear gloves and an apron and will nurse you in a side room. Do not be alarmed if you are barrier nursed. Barrier nursing is used to protect you from other infections on the ward or to protect others if we suspect that you have an infection. There will be a notice on your door saying 'please speak to the nurse before entering'. Your visitors will need to wash their hands before and after visiting you to prevent the spread of infection.
Leaving hospital
Please see 'Leaving hospital'
Medicines to take home (TTOs)
When you are discharged you may be given medicines to take home - these are called TTOs (to take out). TTOs will be prescribed by your medical team and then ordered by the pharmacist the day before or on the day of your discharge. There is normally up to a four hour wait for your medicines to be dispensed. We appreciate your patience.
We will give you medicines to last you for 28 days. The nurse looking after you will explain what your TTO medicines are for and how to take them.
Feedback
Your views and feedback are important to us and help us to assess the service we provide. Please ask to speak to the matron, the sisters or a senior nurse.
You may also:
Donations
If you would like to show your appreciation, please complete a 'Please make a donation…' form, enclosing your donation. The leaflet folds into an envelope and can be posted to us or taken to the Cashiers Office. All donations help the ward to improve services for patients and their families. NHS staff cannot accept personal gifts from patients.
Oxford Hospitals Charity