Before you arrive
Read your letter
Your appointment letter will explain anything you need to do before coming into hospital. It is very important that you follow these special instructions otherwise your treatment may be delayed. Please ensure you check the details in your letter carefully so that you go to the right place for your treatment as our trust has two hospital sites—Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital. Your letter will tell you exactly where you need to go.
Phone if you can’t make it
Your letter gives you an admission date. If there is any problem about coming in, please ring the telephone number on the letter immediately.
If you are having an operation
It is very important you follow the instructions below so that you can proceed with general anaesthesia as safely as possible. Fasting for longer than the recommended times is of no benefit and we would encourage you to eat and drink until the times stated below.
If your operation is in the morning, you can:
- Eat until midnight the night before
- Have a cup of black tea or coffee before you leave for hospital (no milk)
- Sip water until the time of your surgery once you have been admitted so that you are comfortable (still water only, no fizzy/carbonated water)
If your operation is in the afternoon, you can:
- Eat breakfast and finish by 7am
- Have a cup of black tea or coffee before you leave for hospital (no milk)
- Sip water until the time of your surgery once you have been admitted so that you are comfortable (still water only, no fizzy/carbonated water)