Patients & Visitors

RJAH is committed to quality with an emphasis on putting the patient first. It is renowned worldwide as a centre of excellence and is at the forefront of orthopaedic treatment, teaching and research.

The NHS's commitment to you

When you are in hospital this is what you can expect:

• To have a clear explanation of your condition and the treatment options available to you
• To be asked for your written fully informed consent to any operation or procedure
• To see your patient records if you wish
• To be sure that the information in your records will remain confidential
• To be treated with respect and dignity at all times
• To be informed about different aspects of your treatment and what procedure(s) are being carried out
• To keep relatives or carers informed of your progress, if you wish

Your commitment to the NHS

In return, the Trust asks you to:

• Provide us with the necessary information about your condition, symptoms or medication in order to provide appropriate care
• In cases of violent or aggressive behaviour, treatment may be withheld
• Help, as far as you are able, in feeding yourself, keeping mobile and your personal hygiene needs
• Arrange for your transport home, if possible
• Arrange with your family or friends to take care of your personal laundry, if possible
• Treat our staff with the same respect you expect from them

Information about your care

We are a teaching hospital, and your doctor may sometimes be accompanied by visiting doctors. You may also encounter students in training from other healthcare professions. If you do not wish to be seen by them, please let us know.

We sometimes conduct clinical trials, which are important for developing treatment in the future. These may involve some extra tests or extra visits to the hospital. If your doctor asks you to take part in these, you are entitled to say no, and this will not affect your care. Talk to your nurse if you want to discuss this further or have any concerns.

Infection prevention and control measures

Infection prevention and control measures at RJAH have been praised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), following a recent review of processes by the regulator at the end of July 2020.

Although the CQC is not routinely inspecting services during the pandemic period and recovery phase, they are continuing to carry out some focussed inspections.

The CQC praised the Trust for a number of reasons, including:

• For its undertaking of a thorough assessment of infection prevention control across all services, since the pandemic was declared.
• Appropriate systems are in place and include prompt identification of people within the organisation who have or are at risk of developing an infection.
• Appropriate isolation facilities and cohorting areas have also been established for patients across the Trust.
• The Trust has identified infection control champions who have visited the wards to provide training and workshops to staff.