Rheumatology Day Unit

Preparing to Come to the Day Unit

Please bring with you:

• Shared care booklet (if you have one)
• Any aids for mobility or eating which you usually use
• Slippers, books, personal stereo, etc.

Transport

The NHS Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service for Norfolk (excluding Great Yarmouth and Waveney) is provided by ERS Medical. Gt Yarmouth/Waveney and Suffolk is provided by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST).

Patients and carers in Norfolk can book journeys with ERS telephone number: 0333 240 4100. Eligibility criteria apply. Further information regarding ERS medical can be found at www.ersmedical.co.uk

Patients and carers in Suffolk can book journeys with EEAST telephone number: 0845 8500774. Eligibility criteria apply.

Disabled Parking

All of the hospital car parks have disabled spaces, but there are none available in the privately operated car park as this is too far from the building. Disabled parking is free in the hospital car parks but not the privately owned car park.  You will need to take your blue badge to reception to have your car parking ticket validated.

The reception desks are situated in Outpatients East and Outpatients West – both of which are manned from 09:00 until 16:00, and Inpatient East – manned 07:00 until 17:45 and Inpatient West which is manned 24 hours. When you arrive at the hospital please get your ticket validated at any of the reception desks for use in the machine when you leave.

On the Day

When you arrive at the department please report to reception and you will be directed to the day unit where a staff member will explain procedures to you.

Refreshments

Meals and drinks will be provided during your stay.

Aftercare

Any additional medication, tests, or follow up appointments required will be arranged by the department. The department maintains close links with Physiotherapy which houses a Hydrapool to aid recovery.

General Information

We wish to make your stay in the day unit as relaxed as possible. Please read this leaflet carefully. It is important that you take note of all the instructions. If you have any questions or worries about your admission and treatment please do not hesitate to contact us on (01603) 287005. We are available Monday to Friday 08:30 – 17:00 hours.

The Rheumatology Day Unit is situated adjacent to the reception desk on Level 2 outpatients.

The Day Unit is an eight bedded unit catering for IV’s (Intravenous Injections), Joint injections, epidurals and general assessments to eleviate or maintain a patients particular medical condition, relative to Inflammatory/Rheumatoid Arthritis and its many guises.

The Unit is under the direction of Sister Caroline Ferrari and her team of nurses and provides comfort and one-to-one personal care for patients, together with the privacy of a consultation with a doctor/nurse.