Hospital services
The following information will ensure you have a comfortable stay with us. Please speak to our staff and volunteers if you have any questions or need directions.
Meals
A menu card will be given to you before each meal from which you can make your choice. Drinks are provided with all meals, and at intervals during the day and evening. If you are on a special diet please advise your nurse who will contact the dietetic or catering department. We always have vegetarian dishes and can provide kosher meals.
Meals are served at the following times: breakfast 7.30am - 8.30am, lunch 11.45am - 1.15pm,supper 5.20pm - 6.20pm. If your visitors need to stay overnight, meals can be purchased from Time Out, the staff restaurant on the first floor. Light refreshments may be purchased by relatives from the Courtyard Cafe on the ground floor when it is open.
Hospital chaplaincy
The Chaplaincy recognises that a stay in hospital can be a worrying experience, both emotionally and spiritually. Chaplaincy staff aim to provide a service to all, regardless of beliefs or faith. A contact list of ministers of the world's main religions is maintained by the department.
The hospital chaplains can be contacted 24 hours a day, via the ward staff, and are happy to have an informal chat or to be a listening ear. The Chapel of the Good Samaritan is situated just off the front corridor, on the ground floor, and is always open for quiet reflection and prayer. Details of services held in the chapel are provided in a bedside Welcome Pack.
We also have a group of trained and supervised volunteers who visit the wards on a regular basis. If patients cannot easily get to the chapel services, then arrangements for them to receive bedside communion can be made.
Radio and television
This hospital is proud to offer SPARK® Media, for free, to all patients, visitors and staff, provided by WiFi SPARK.
What does that mean?
During your time at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, you will have access to a selection of entertainment options. Whether you’re in for a quick check-up or have a more prolonged stay with us, we’ve got you covered.
SPARK® Media is a free to use entertainment platform accessible via any internet enabled device. By logging on to our guest access WiFi here at West Suffolk you can watch, listen and read to your hearts content.
You will have access to:
- live TV on BBC One, BBC, Two, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel Five
- a variety of children’s channels in the children’s ward including Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Disney Channel
- a range of radio stations BBC Radio 1, 2 and 4
- a selection of digitised magazines from the last month including BBC Top Gear, Vanity Fair, National Geographic and many more
- access to information about the Trust, our my Wish Charity and an events and donation page to stay up to date will all our Trust activities.
As well as this, you can continue to browse as normal using our hospital WiFi.
How do you get online?
You’ll need to logon to our hospital WiFi by going to the WiFi settings on your device and selecting ‘NHS-WIFI’. From here, you’ll be asked to carry out a few simple steps and you’ll be online!
If you wish to only use the WiFi then you can begin browsing but if you wish to access the selection of SPARK® Media entertainment outlets, go into your browsing app and type the following:
From here you’ll be able to see an easy to navigate hub from which you’ll be able to access all our entertainment solutions.
If you need any guidance there is a 24 / 7 / 365 service desk on hand to help. To contact them, call WiFi SPARK on 0344 848 9555 or email support@wifispark.com.
Patients’ library
The hospital has its own patients’ library service, and a trolley brings books, talking books and magazines to the wards at least once a week. Please make sure you return any books you borrow to the trolley or to the nursing staff before you leave. If you mistakenly take them home please return them to the hospital as soon as possible.
Overnight accommodation
We have some rooms available for relatives of seriously ill patients to stay overnight if necessary. Please ask the nurse in charge for more details.
Shopping
WHSmith and the Friends of West Suffolk Hospital shops are situated in the main concourse at the front of the hospital sell a variety of goods including newspapers, magazines, cards, light refreshments, cold drinks, toiletries, etc. Both shops provide trolley services to the wards. A cash machine is situated in the main reception. Please be aware that there is a charge for each withdrawal.