Hospitals and Hospital Care

You can search for NHS hospitals and see the services each one offers on the NHS service search. In Scotland use NHS inform, in Wales use NHS Wales, and in Northern Ireland use nidirect.

Hospitals offer different services. A general hospital covers a wide range of conditions and usually has an emergency department. A specialist hospital concentrates on one area, such as eye care, orthopaedics or cancer treatment. A children's hospital is set up around the needs of babies, children and young people, with specialist staff and play support.

Always confirm where your appointment is taking place. Large trusts often run several hospitals and clinics in different locations, and your letter may name a site you were not expecting. Check the hospital name, site, department and any building or entrance details before you travel.

Most hospital care starts with a referral from your GP. Sometimes another specialist refers you onward. Our GP Services page explains how to get an appointment and what to say.

In England, many routine referrals go through the NHS e-Referral Service. Your GP can help you book, or you may be able to choose a hospital and book online or by phone yourself. Read more on the NHS e-Referral Service page.

When an appointment is made, you should receive a letter, text or email confirming the date, time, place and department. Read the instructions carefully — some appointments need you to fast, stop certain medicines, or arrive early.

To change or cancel an appointment, use the contact details on your letter or the hospital website as soon as you can, so the slot can go to someone else. Let them know about any new symptoms.

If you have been waiting longer than expected, contact the hospital department named on your letter to ask for an update. Your GP can also check whether a referral was received and, if your condition has changed, whether it needs to be made more urgent. In England the PALS team (see the concerns section below) can also help chase things up.

A little preparation makes appointments far more useful:

• Take your appointment letter, NHS number if you know it, and an up-to-date list of your medicines — including over-the-counter products, supplements and creams.
• Write down your symptoms: when they started, what makes them better or worse, and how they affect your daily life.
• Write down your questions in advance and put the most important ones first.
• Take someone with you for support if you can — they can help you remember what was said.
• If you have accessibility or communication needs — for example you need a BSL interpreter, wheelchair access or information in another format — contact the department beforehand so it can be arranged (see the accessibility section below).

A planned admission is arranged in advance and you will usually receive instructions about when to arrive, whether to fast, and what to bring. An emergency admission happens without warning, often through A&E, so it helps to keep key details (medicines list, allergies, emergency contacts) somewhere easy to find.

A practical packing checklist:

• Nightwear, dressing gown, slippers and comfortable day clothes
• Toiletries, and any dentures, glasses or hearing aids with their cases
• Your medicines in their original packaging, plus your written medicines list
• Something to do — a book, phone and charger, headphones
• A small amount of money for the hospital shop or television, if used

Make sure staff know about all your medicines and any allergies. Leave valuables, jewellery and large amounts of cash at home — hospitals usually cannot keep them safe.

Before you go in, make arrangements for children, dependants, pets or anyone you care for, and tell the hospital if you have caring responsibilities — it can affect how quickly you are discharged and the support arranged. If a pet owner is going into hospital, our Help When a Pet Owner Goes Into Hospital page covers the practical steps.

Many people are involved in your care: consultants, doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, pharmacists, therapists and support staff. A named nurse or consultant is usually responsible for your overall care — ask who that is.

You can always ask questions and request explanations in plain language. If you do not understand something, say so. You can also ask for a relative, carer or advocate to be involved in conversations and decisions where appropriate.

Staff must get your consent before treatment, and your privacy and confidentiality must be respected. You can read more on the NHS consent to treatment page.

Expect staff to check your identity (your name, date of birth and wristband) and to double-check medicines before giving them. These medicine-safety checks protect you — do not be surprised or offended when they happen repeatedly.

Hospitals should make reasonable adjustments so disabled people can use their services. Ask for what you need — and ask before your appointment whenever possible, because arrangements vary between hospitals and some take time to set up.

• Wheelchair access and accessible facilities: step-free routes, accessible toilets, hoists and accessible parking are usually available — check the hospital website or call ahead.
• Hearing and communication support: you can ask for hearing loops, British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters and language interpreters.
• Alternative formats: many hospitals can provide information in Easy Read, large print, audio, braille or other languages.
• Learning disability support: many hospitals have a learning-disability liaison nurse, and a hospital passport (a document describing your needs, likes and dislikes) can help staff care for you — ask whether the hospital accepts them.
• Autism, dementia and sensory needs: tell staff about anything that helps — quiet waiting areas, seeing the same staff, extra time, or having a familiar person with you.

Contact the department named on your letter, or the hospital's PALS or patient experience team, to request arrangements in advance.

Hospitals try to make treatment less frightening for children: staff explain things at the child's level, many wards have play specialists, and parents or carers can usually stay with a child — ask about local parent facilities such as beds, kitchens and washing facilities.

Prepare a child by explaining simply what will happen, being honest about anything that might hurt, and bringing familiar comfort items. Children should be involved in decisions about their care in a way that suits their age and understanding, and consent rules take account of this.

Check visiting times and ward rules before you travel — they are on the hospital website or available by phoning the ward. Rules vary between wards and can change at short notice.

• Follow infection-control precautions: wash or sanitise your hands, and do not visit if you have symptoms of illness such as sickness, diarrhoea, coughs or a fever.
• Contact the ward before travelling if the person is very unwell, has moved wards, or if you are unsure whether visiting is allowed.
• Visitors with disabilities can ask about step-free access, parking and any other support they need.
• If someone is receiving end-of-life care, visiting is usually much more flexible — speak to the ward about staying longer or outside normal hours.

Non-emergency patient transport may be free if your medical condition means you cannot travel by ordinary means — ask your GP or the hospital about eligibility.

If you get certain benefits or are on a low income, the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) may refund your travel costs to NHS appointments.

Hospital car parks usually charge, but most have concessions. Blue Badge holders can often park free or at a reduced rate — check the hospital's own parking rules before you go, because each site is different. See the GOV.UK Blue Badge information for how the scheme works.

Public transport and community transport (such as volunteer car schemes) can be good options — the hospital website usually lists bus routes, and local councils or community organisations often run transport services.

• Always take an up-to-date list of your medicines with you, and bring your medicines in their original packaging if asked.
• Never take your own medicines during a hospital stay unless hospital staff agree. The hospital pharmacy controls what you are given while you are admitted, and mixing supplies can be dangerous.
• Before you leave, make sure you understand any new, stopped or changed medicines — what each one is for, how and when to take it, and what to do if you have problems.

This page gives no treatment instructions and no medicine dosages. Any questions about your medicines should go to the hospital team or your pharmacist — see our Pharmacists page for the help your local pharmacy can offer.

Planning for going home should start early in your stay. Before you leave you should know:

• What is in your discharge letter — a copy usually goes to your GP, and you can ask for one yourself.
• Your medicines — what has changed and how to take everything.
• Your follow-up appointments — when they are, or when to expect them.
• Who to contact if your recovery does not go as expected — get a name or number before you leave.

If you need equipment, home adaptations or community care — such as help with washing, dressing or meals — this should be assessed and arranged before or shortly after discharge. Carers should be involved in discharge planning, and transport home should be considered, especially if you cannot travel normally.

• You can request copies of your letters or records from the hospital's records department. In England you can also see much of your record in the NHS App.
• Ask when and how your results will be provided — by letter, phone, the NHS App, or at your next appointment — and who to contact if they do not arrive.
• If results or a follow-up appointment have not arrived when expected, contact the hospital department first, then your GP if you cannot get an answer.
• You can always ask for a further explanation of your results or care, and you are entitled to ask for a second opinion — your GP or the hospital team can help arrange this where appropriate.

If something worries you, raise it straight away with ward staff or the person in charge of the ward or department — many problems can be sorted out immediately. If you are not satisfied, each UK nation has its own patient-support and complaints route. These services are separate in each country — the English service does not operate in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, and vice versa.

• England: speak to the hospital's PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) first. If that does not resolve things, use the NHS complaints process; the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is the final step.
• Scotland: give feedback or complain to the NHS board responsible — see NHS inform's complaints and feedback guidance.
• Wales: use the NHS Wales concerns process (Putting Things Right), with free independent support from Llais, your voice in health and social care.
• Northern Ireland: complain to the relevant Health and Social Care trust, with free support from the Patient and Client Council.

Sometimes illness or injury means a person cannot make their own decisions about treatment. Professionals must then assess the person's capacity and follow the law on making decisions in their best interests, involving family and others who know the person.

• Advance decisions (sometimes called living wills) and lasting powers of attorney let people record their wishes and choose someone to decide for them in advance.
• Independent advocates can support people who lack capacity and have no one else to speak for them.
• The law differs across the four UK nations: the Mental Capacity Act applies in England and Wales, the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act in Scotland, and separate legislation applies in Northern Ireland.

This is general information only. For official guidance start with GOV.UK's Mental Capacity Act collection, and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use NHS inform, NHS 111 Wales and nidirect.