Caithness General Hospital patient and visitor information

Getting to hospital

Read about:

You may wish to contact Caithness Rural Transport:

phone 01955 605588 (9am to 2pm Monday to Friday)

They operate a dial-a-ride transport service. Charges for this service apply.

Taxis and private cars can drop you off at the main entrance to the hospital.

Parking is available for visitors. Due to limited car park spaces we request that cars are not parked in the car park for the duration of your stay in hospital. Please note, the hospital will not accept responsibility for vehicles or belongings.

On admission to Caithness General Hospital, you should report to the receptionist in the entrance foyer who will direct you to the ward.

Medicines

Rosebank Ward and Bignold Ward have a policy of using your own medication. A form of consent is signed by yourself and on discharge the pharmacist issues your prescribed medication (either your own or a new prescription, as appropriate).

Meals

Times for meals are:

breakfast 8.15am to 8.45am
morning tea 10am
lunch 12.00noon to 1pm
afternoon tea 2pm
evening meal 4.30pm to 5.30pm
evening drink 8pm

You will be able to select your meals from a varied menu in advance. A member of the catering staff will always attend to any concern you may have.

We ask that visitors respect the protected meal times for lunch and evening meal.

WiFi

Access to WiFi Internet access for patients will be live very shortly.

Mail

Mail for patients is delivered twice a day. Outgoing mail can be handed to a member of staff.

Television

Television sets are available in all wards, single rooms, day rooms and outpatient areas.

Medical records

If you would like to apply for access to this information please write to:

Medical Records Manager
Caithness General Hospital
Bankhead Road
Wick
KW1 5NS

Visitor information

Only two visitors are allowed at a bedside at any one time and are to use the chairs provided. Children may visit at the discretion of the nurse in charge and must be under the supervision of an adult. Visitors will be expected to limit their visits, as long visits and too many visitors are apt to tire patients.

Please advise your friends not to visit if they are suffering from coughs, colds, influenza, diarrhoea or any infectious illness.

Enquiries about progress

If you require to call for an update on a patient, where possible please call after 11.30am to prevent disruption of essential patient care. See direct dial numbers (under Visiting).

Community Midwife Unit visiting

Visiting times are as agreed with the midwife.

Dining room

There is a dining room on the ground floor where relatives and visitors can buy meals and snacks. Opening times are:

9am to 4pm for canteen serving facilities
12.30pm to 2.00pm for lunch

There is 24-hour access to vending facilities.

Toilets

These are located on the ground floor by reception. Patient toilets are not for visitors use.

Caithness General League of Friends

Caithness General League of Friends raise funds for additional items which will benefit patients. They also visit patients in hospital upon request and will provide help if required for shopping, telephone calls and other support.

The League of Friends can be contacted by writing to:

The Secretary
League of Friends
Caithness General Hospital
Wick
KW1 5NS

New members are always welcome - please ask ward staff.

Caithness General Patients Council

Caithness General Patients Council was established in April 2000. The Council comprises of volunteer members of the public and representatives from NHS Highland. The aims of the Council are:

to be involved in discussions in relation to service improvements
to provide feedback about services
to assist with audits
to act as a sounding board for new ideas

If you wish to contact the Patients Council with your views and suggestions, or would like to become a member, please write to:

Caithness General Patients Council
Caithness General Hospital
Bankhead Road
Wick
KW1 5NS

Gifts and donations

Patients and families often wish to show their appreciation to the hospital. We ask that gifts of any description should be for the benefit of a group of staff, such as a ward, department or Caithness General Hospital as a whole, and not for individual employees who are not allowed to accept personal gifts.

Caithness General Hospital benefits from a number of endowment funds which are administered by its Finance Department. Anyone wishing for more information should contact the NHS Highland Director of Finance at Assynt House in Inverness.

Welfare benefits

If you are in hospital for four weeks or more it is import that you inform the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) to prevent possible overpayment of benefit. Carers Allowance is similarly affected.

Caithness General Hospital, working with Caithness Citizens Advice Bureau, has a Welfare Rights Officer within the hospital, who will be happy to have discussion with you about welfare benefits and entitlements. The Welfare Rights Officer can be contacted via the switchboard.

Caithness Citizens Advice Bureau

Visit the Caithness Citizens Advice Bureau website.

Call the Caithness bureau directly:

phone 01847 894243

Call the outreach (Wick):

phone 01955 605989

Visit the Citizens Advice Scotland website.

Compliments, suggestions and complaints

Please feel free to comment on any aspect of our services which you have valued, or you would like us to improve upon. It is our aim to provide the highest standards of care to each and every patient.

You may be asked to complete a patient feedback form to assist in improving the quality of service provided. A relative may complete the questionnaire for you if you are unable to do so.

If you would like to make a comment about our services, or suggest ways in which they could be improved, comment and feedback forms are available in every ward and department. Each form will be read by senior managers, who will review your comments and act appropriately.

Informal complaints

If you are unhappy about the treatment or services you have received and wish to make a complaint, please raise the matter with the staff member concerned, or with the person in charge of the ward or department. They will do their best to resolve your concerns at the time. If you are not satisfied with the response, please ask to speak to a senior manager who will listen to your complaint and suggest a way forward.

Formal complaints

If you wish to speak to someone outwith the ward or department concerned, please contact the NHS Highland Complaints Team.

Fire precautions

All Caithness General Hospital staff are fully conversant with the procedures to be carried out to ensure safety in the event of a fire. Fire prevention is important and your compliance is essential.

The fire alarm system is tested weekly on a Wednesday morning.

no smoking

NHS Highland operates a No Smoking policy within its grounds and premises. Please respect this. It is now illegal to smoke in the grounds of any NHS Highland hospital and you may be fined £50. This policy applies to all patients, staff and visitors.

Nicotine replacement therapy is available within all hospital wards, which you can access this as an inpatient if required. Get local help to stop smoking.

Alcohol is also forbidden on NHS Highland grounds.

Caithness General Hospital (Wick)

Caithness General in Wick is a modern Rural General Hospital, well equipped with facilities and services.
Caithness General Hospital maps

Floor plans of Caithness General Hospital, and services located in each area.
Caithness General Hospital services

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Caithness General Hospital patient and visitor information

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