Theatre Admissions Unit

If you need to cancel your surgery on the day of your surgery please phone the Theatre Admissions Unit.

If you need to cancel before this then please phone the booking clerk or the number provided by Pre-operative assessment. Please note TAU will not be able to give you an alternative date. You will be contacted by a booking clerk to rearrange your date if you cancel on the day.

Please telephone the pre-operative assessment team if:

• You need advice about your admission
• You need to cancel or postpone your surgery before the day

Pre-operative assessment - Telephone 01709 424566 or 01709 424585

If you are phoning to cancel or postpone your surgery, please do not contact the Day Surgery Centre or Theatres Admission Unit unless it is the day of your surgery. Please contact pre-operative assessment on the numbers above.

For advice following your pre operative assessment, please refer to the card given to you by your pre-operative assessment nurse for further contact numbers.

• If you smoke, you should stop at least 24 hours before your operation. You will not be able to smoke in the hospital or its grounds. This includes e-cigarettes.
• Do not drink alcohol for 24 hours before your operation. 
• If you can take simple pain medicines such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, please ensure that you have these at home to take after your surgery. If you need any stronger pain medication, the hospital will supply this for you.
• Please remember to stop any medication that Pre-operative assessment advised you to.
• Please continue to take your usual medicines if you have not been advised to stop them. These can be taken with a small glass of water.
• You may need to take some time off work following your operation. This will be discussed with you at discharge. If you need a sickness certificate, please tell the nurse and surgeon on your admission.

If you are having an operation that requires you have a general anaesthetic, regional anaesthetic, spinal anaesthetic or any sedation you will need to starve/fast (be nil by mouth). This means nothing to eat or drink.

It is important to fast before an anaesthetic so that your stomach is empty of food and drink before your operation. If there is food or drink in your stomach during your anaesthetic it may come up into the back of your throat and into your lungs which could damage them or make you very unwell.

If you do not follow your starving instructions  your operation will be cancelled.

Starvation instructions

Morning operations (7.15am admission)

Nothing to eat after 2am, this includes food, milk, sweets and  fizzy drinks. You are encouraged to drink water or clear fluids before your operation. Please do not drink after 6am but you can have sips of water until you are admitted.

Afternoon operations (11.30am admission)

Nothing to eat after 7am, this includes food, milk, sweets and fizzy drinks. You are encouraged to drink water or clear fluids before your operation. Please do not drink after 6am but you can have sips of water until you are admitted.

• Please do not smoke 24 hours before your operation. This will help avoid breathing problems during your anaesthetic. This includes e-cigarettes.
• If you are taking medicines, you should continue to take them as usual, unless your preoperative assessment nurse has asked you not to. If you take drugs to stop you getting blood clots (anticoagulants) or drugs for diabetes you will need specific instructions. You may take your tablets with a small glass of water.
• You should remove all nail varnish, false nails, tongue and any body piercings.
• Have a bath or a shower before you come into hospital.
• Make sure you follow your starving instructions as given in this booklet.
• Do not suck sweets.
• Please do not drink any alcohol for 24 hours before your operation.

If you are unsure about how to prepare for your surgery please call your pre-operative assessment nurse, or you may risk your surgery being cancelled.

• You will need a dressing gown and a pair of slippers.
• Please remove and leave all jewellery and body piercings at home. You do not need to remove your wedding ring unless having surgery on that hand or arm, but it will need to be covered with tape. If you have been unable to remove your piercings please inform us on your admission. However if you are undergoing hand surgery you will be asked to remove all jewellery on that arm.
• Please bring your CPAP machine for sleep apnoea if you have one.
• Please bring in all of your regular medications including drugs, inhalers, GTN spray etc. even if you haven’t used them for a long time. Please check that they have not passed their expiry date.
• Please do not wear make-up, including mascara or lash extensions.
• Remove any nail varnish and/or false nails before you come into hospital.
• Please bring hearing aids and glasses if you require them, preferably do not bring contact lenses. If you wear contact lenses you will need to remove them before you have your anaesthetic.
• Any mobility aids that you need.
• You may wish to bring a book or magazine with you.
• Please make sure you bring in contact numbers of your relatives, carers and transport.

Where possible please ask your relatives, friend or carer to bring your toiletries, night wear and a change of clothing when they visit you if you are an inpatient.

We are unable to take responsibility for the safety of your belongings. We ask that you do not bring any valuables or large amounts of money with you and that you leave your mobile phone at home.

TAU has to follow Trust guidance regarding Covid-19 precautions. If Covid-19 guidance allows, a friend or relative is welcome to accompany you to the Theatres Admission Unit, however due to the limited space and busy nature of the unit once you are admitted they will be asked to leave. If you feel you need someone to stay with you until you go for your operation please discuss this with your pre-assessment nurse.

If your operation requires a stay in hospital, then your friend or relative may be able to visit you on the ward depending on the current infection control guidance.

Please note if you are planned a day case, then unfortunately due to the nature of the day surgery unit, the Day Surgery Centre is not able to offer visiting times. Day Surgery Centre staff will contact your transport once you are ready for discharge.

Once you arrive at the Theatre Admissions Unit, please report to the reception desk where you will be welcomed to the unit, your details will be checked and you will be admitted to the unit.

You will be asked to change into a theatre gown and to put on your dressing gown and slippers.

The nurse will record your blood pressure, pulse and temperature. It may be necessary to take some further blood samples or send you for different tests.

The surgeon will discuss your operation with you and complete the consent form unless completed already. It may also be necessary to mark your skin with a marker pen to identify the operation site.

If you are having a general anaesthetic, spinal or regional anaesthetic you will also see an anaesthetist who will discuss your general health and assess if you are “fit” enough to have an anaesthetic and discuss the type of anaesthetic with you. Please refer to the ‘You and your anaesthetic’ leaflet for more detail about anaesthetics.

If you are female and aged between 12 and 55 you will be asked permission for a pregnancy test to be taken prior to your surgery. This is usually a urine test but may need to be a blood test. If you know you are pregnant before your admission please tell us.

You will have your operation in our Theatre Suite. This is a short walk from the Theatre Admissions Unit. You will be escorted to the Theatre Suite by one of the Theatre Reception or TAU staff. This will be by walking or a wheelchair depending on your mobility.

Please note that a number of operating lists are running at the same time and you will not be taken to Theatre in order of arrival. 

The plan for where you will receive your post-operative care will be discussed with you with at your pre-operative assessment. Your care will be planned as either a:

Day case patient

You will be transferred to the Day Surgery Centre following your operation.

Inpatient

You will be transferred to an appropriate ward depending on what surgery you are having done. The planned ward will be discussed with you by our pre-operative assessment and booking team. Please note that depending on bed pressures the ward you are transferred to may change at short notice.

On admission to the unit your property will be labelled with your name and hospital number. The TAU staff will transfer your property to the ward to where you will be cared for after your operation once you have gone to Theatre.

Please try to bring only the minimum amount of belongings that you will need and if possible leave all valuables at home.

When you agree your admission date you will be given a planned discharge ward. We ask that you pass this information onto your relatives to contact the ward to enquire about how you are following your operation. If your relatives wish to contact the Theatre Admissions Unit to find out if you have gone to Theatre they are welcome to do so.

The Theatres Admission Unit is divided into male and female seated waiting areas and also has a limited number of consulting rooms where patients can wait until it is time to go to Theatre. If you have a preference of where you would like to wait please mention this to the TAU nurse who admits you.

Theatre Admission Unit  

01709 427482

Day Surgery Centre

01709 426500

Pre-operative assessment

01709 424585 or 01709 424566