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This section provides you with practical information about hospital visiting times, to information on how to prepare for a stay in hospital as an inpatient.

Named Personal Contact

Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to give out information about your health to individuals – unless they are your named personal contact.

We ask that you identify one personal contact that with your permission, your progress can be shared with. This may be a member of your family, carer, or a friend.

Additional Support

If you feel that you would benefit from some additional support to make your stay more comfortable, or to help you communicate, please ask a member of staff. This might be:

  • lifting equipment if you have difficulty standing, or transferring from a wheelchair
  • if you require information in other languages
  • a language interpreter, or someone to sign if you are deaf
  • assistance if you are visually impaired
  • access to a Hearing Loop.
  • baby/child changing

Parking for disabled people is situated near the hospital entrance. Should you require a wheelchair, these are available at the main hospital entrance.

Guide and hearing dogs are permitted within the Outpatient Department.

Contact Scotland BSL (British Sign Language

Contact Scotland BSL is Scotland’s national British Sign Language video interpreting service offering free unlimited calls for all BSL users living in Scotland.  Available 24 hours, 7 days a week, the services at https://contactscotland-bsl.org/ is a lifeline service for our deaf and profoundly deaf communities in Scotland that enables callers to contact any public, third and private sector organisation in Scotland, including NHS 24 and Police Scotland, via Video Relay Signing.  A useful app is also available on smartphones, for both Apple and Android devices.

A useful BSL video explains the provider switch over can be viewed here.

Confidentiality

Patients and their visitors are asked to please respect the privacy of other patients and their families.

Smoking policy

In 2022, it became an offence for anyone to smoke, or knowingly permit smoking, within 15 metres of a hospital building.  This includes awnings, canopies or any other over hanging structure.  In addition, no smoking applies to all other NHS Western Isles premises, buildings and grounds.  This includes the use of E-cigarettes.  Read more about the national No Smoking Perimeter legislation.  

If appropriate, when patients are admitted to hospital a Quit Your Way Hebrides Smoking Cessation Advisor can visit you and chat through the best options to help you manage. If patients or their visitors require this service, please ask the patient’s named nurse to arrange it for you.  You can alternatively telephone Quit Your Way Hebrides on 01851 701623 or email: wi.hebridesquityourway@nhs.scot

Media devices

  • WiFi – Free public WiFi is available within NHS Western Isles premises.
  • Mobile, Tablet and Laptop – Mobile, tablet and laptops are permitted in many areas of the hospital. Some exceptions may apply. Check with your named nurse if you are unsure. Please be considerate to others:
    • switch your device to silent, vibrate or use headphones
    • video recording and photography is forbidden.

Laundry Service

If your hospital offers hospital laundry services please mark your clothing clearly with your name and area or village you come from. This helps to prevent clothes getting lost. If you require this service please ask your named nurse to arrange it for you.

Advice for patients and carers: hospital healthcare appointments.

NHS Western Isles would like to remind patients and their carers that they may wish to wear a mask and adopt hand hygiene measures.  These facilities are available at each hospital site. 

Read more

Anyone attending healthcare appointments must ensure they adhere strict hand hygiene (using hand sanitiser on entry and/or washing their hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds) to reduce the risk of infection.

You will be required to comply with appropriate measures in place when you attend our premises. This may include measures that relate to hand hygiene, and the wearing of face masks or other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required.  These measures may change at short-notice. 

It is important that you attend on time if you have an appointment as directed by your patient appointment letter (please do not attend early or late).  

If a patient is experiencing any symptoms of illness (e.g. high temperature, respiratory infection, Norovirus, Coronovirus, vomiting, diarrhoea), they must contact their clinician to reschedule their appointment.

To find our more about symptoms and self-help, please visit NHS Inform.