Information for day case patients

You have been diagnosed as having an abscess that needs surgical treatment. We have arranged for you to have your operation as a day case.

This means that you will come back first thing in the morning, have your operation and go home on the same day.

Where do I go?

You need to report to the theatre reception Gate 20, level two. You will be asked to go there at 7.30am.

Preparation for day surgery

• Please make arrangements to leave young children at home with someone. We have no facilities for children.
• If you are having a general anaesthetic you must arrange for a responsible adult to take you home and stay with you for 24 hours. If you are taking a taxi home you must have a responsible adult to go with you.
• Even if you are having a local anaesthetic it is recommended that you have someone to take you home. You must not drive if your mobility is restricted by the surgery or if you have had an anaestheic. Your insurance may not cover you immediately after an operation.
• Please arrive promptly at 7.30am as instructed. Do not eat or drink anything except water from midnight the night before. You may drink water until 6am.
• If you feel worse overnight or need some advice ring 0117 414 3233 or NHS 111.
• Before coming in, remove all make-up and nail varnish.

What should I bring?

• Leave all your valuables and jewellery at home.
• Bring in any tablets, medicines and inhalers that you normally take.
• Bring a dressing gown and slippers. We will give you an operating gown to change into for your operation.
• We suggest you bring a book or something to do while waiting for your surgery. The staff will let you know how long you have to wait. 

Arriving for your operation

• The staff in the theatre mediroom will take down details of how you will get home. We will phone your escort when you are ready to go home.
• The nursing staff will get you ready for your operation and answer any questions you may have.
• The anaesthetist will see you before your operation and explain the anaesthetic. The surgeon will have explained and consented you in SDAU/SAU but if you have any further questions please ask to speak to the surgeon the day.
• Most patients will be put to sleep i.e. have a general anaesthetic for the procedure, but in some cases the abscess may be treated with a local anaesthetic which means the area will be made numb. The doctor who has assessed you will have told you which is most appropriate.
• Your operation will be planned to be first on an operating list reserved for patients with an emergency condition. However, if an urgent operation for a more life-threatening condition is needed, your operation may be delayed. If this happens, we will do our best to perform your operation later in the day.

Immediately after your operation

• You will be taken back to a mediroom where we will treat any pain or sickness that you may experience.
• You will be offered a drink and a biscuit.
• Your can dress in the mediroom.
• You can then sit and wait for your escort to arrive.

Discharge home

We expect that you will go home the same day. If there are complications such as severe pain or sickness, you may have to stay in hospital.

If you do have any problems when you arrive home, contact your GP, district nurse or NHS 111 or for major problems SAU on 0117 414 3233.

Anaesthetic drugs remain in your body for several hours. During this time you will react more slowly and be more likely to have an accident. You may need some days off work and help at home.

We advise that for 24 hours you should not:

• Drive your car or any other vehicle
• Cook or operate machinery
• Drink alcohol or take sleeping tablets
• Make important decisions or sign legal documents

You will need regular painkillers immediately after the operation. If you do not have suitable painkillers at home, you will be given tablets to take home with you. You will be given verbal and written advice about wound care and pain relief.

You will likely require a dressing on the area, often changed regularly for a few days or weeks. You can arrange for your GP practice nurse or district nurse to do this, please take your discharge summary as soon as possible to your surgery to arrange this. If your GP surgery cannot provide the service most NHS walk-in centres will. In most cases, the abscess will heal and you will not be seen again at the hospital.

If follow-up is planned, for specific complicated abscesses, this will be arranged for you by the hospital team and you will receive a letter in the post for the test or clinic.

How to contact us

Major Trauma Team
Surgical Assessment Unit
Gate 32B, Level 1
Brunel Building
Southmead Hospital
BS10 5NB

Telephone: 0117 414 3233

© North Bristol NHS Trust. This edition published July 2022. Review due July 2025. NBT002946

This page is for patients diagnosed as having a rib or chest injury.

Chest injuries are extremely common following blunt and penetrating trauma. They can vary in severity from minor bruising or an isolated rib fracture to severe crush injuries causing multiple fractures and bleeding which result in pain and breathing problems.

Common causes of rib injury include motor vehicle accidents, falls and assaults. Treatment aims to relieve pain allowing you to perform normal tasks while the injury heals.

The majority of chest injuries are treated without requiring an operation, but a chest drain may need to be inserted. Occasionally with severe injuries the ribs may have to be fixed. This requires an operation that is performed under general anaesthetic.

If you follow the advice given to you on this page and by the healthcare professionals on the ward you should find your chest injury much easier to understand and manage.

Types of injury

Your clinician will let you know which injury type you have.

Rib fractures

A rib fracture is a break in a rib bone. Bruising of the surrounding muscles and ligaments often occurs with these rib fractures. The lungs and other organs underneath the ribs may also be injured.

Flail chest

A flail chest occurs when a segment of the rib cage is separated from the surrounding structures. This is usually defined as at least two fractures per rib, in at least two ribs.

Sternal fracture

A sternal fracture is a fracture of the sternum (the breastbone), located in the centre of the chest.

Pneumothorax

A pneumothorax is a collection of air between the lung and chest wall that causes part or all of a lung to collapse.

Haemothorax

A haemothorax is a collection of blood between the lung and chest wall which may be caused by blunt or penetrating injury.

Lung contusion

A lung contusion is bruising or bleeding of the lung tissue that may cause pain and trouble breathing. It is a common lung injury after blunt trauma to the chest wall.

The chest

The ribcage supports the upper body, protects internal organs, including the heart and lungs, and assists with breathing.

Rib injuries include bruises, torn cartilage and bone fractures.

Symptoms of chest trauma

• Pain at the injury site.
• Pain when the ribcage moves. For example with movement, when you take a deep breath or when you cough, sneeze or laugh.
• Breathing difficulties.
• Coughing up blood or discoloured sputum
• Increased temperature
• Pain relief.
• Oxygen therapy.
• Early mobilisation.
• Physiotherapy.
• Chest drain(s).

Very occasionally surgery is required to stabilise the fractures. In severe cases intensive care treatment is also required. If this is needed your doctor will discuss it with you/your family.

Complications

Possible complications of chest trauma include:

• Pain.
• Pneumothorax / Haemothorax (see previous definitions).
• Chest infection – to avoid this it is important to ensure your pain relief is adequate so you are able to take deep breathes, cough and mobilise.

Pain management

• The most important treatment with chest trauma is to have good pain relief.
• Take regular pain relief so you are able to deep breathe, cough and mobilise – these are vital for you to do as they aid your recovery and help prevent complications such a chest infection.
• Inform your nurse and doctors if you feel your pain relief is not adequate.
• Do take the recommended pain relief and/or anti-inflammatory tablets; these will improve your healing time.

Lidocaine plasters for rib fractures

Lidocaine is a local anaesthetic which works by diffusing into the skin, causing numbness and relieving pain at the site of the rib fractures.

You have been given lidocaine plasters to treat pain from rib fractures and to enable you to deep breathe and cough more easily.

Prior to using the plaster any allergies should be discussed with your healthcare professional to ensure this treatment is safe for you.

Between one and three plasters will be used depending on your rib injuries. The plaster/s must be applied to dry skin with no cuts or sores. Any hairs over the affected area may be trimmed with scissors (not shaved). Do not apply cream or lotion to the area as the plaster may not stick. If you have had a recent bath or shower, wait until the skin cools prior to sticking the plaster on. Try not to then get the plaster wet. 

Lidocaine plasters must only be left in place for 12 hours, then they must be removed for a 12 hour break. For example, your plasters may be applied at 9am and removed at 9pm so that you have a break from them overnight.

Lidocaine plasters are used for between three and five days alongside other forms of pain relief. After this rib fracture pain is usually manageable with other oral painkillers.

If you develop skin irritation at the plaster site it will need to be removed and not reapplied unless the irritation settles.

Please speak to your doctor or nurse if you have any questions about this form of pain relief.

Local Anaesthetic Nerve Blocks (Epidural, Paravertebral or “Fascial Plane” Blocks)

These provide effective pain relief through an injection of local anaesthetic to help numb the injured area. A very small, sterile plastic tube may be inserted to infuse local anaesthetic and help reduce your pain for several days. Anaesthetists perform these blocks and will explain everything to you including any risks.

Chest drains

If you have a pneumothorax or haemothorax you may need to have a chest drain inserted. If this is required your doctor will discuss it with you and explain the procedure.

A chest drain is a sterile soft plastic tube that is inserted into the space between the lung and the chest wall. It is used to drain air (pneumothorax) or blood (haemothorax).

If you have a chest drain some important things to know are:

• You may see air bubbling out through the drainage bottle or fluid draining. This is expected and will be monitored.
• You must keep the drainage bottle below the point the drain enters your chest. Usually it is placed on the floor. It is also essential that the bottle is kept upright.
• The drain can come out if pulled or twisted so try to be careful when moving. If the drain does come out tell someone straight away.
• The drain may cause discomfort, but is unusual to cause significant pain. If it is painful do inform your nurse and ask for painkillers.

Physiotherapy and breathing exercises

Breathing exercises

Start in a comfortable position, ideally sitting upright in the bed or chair with your shoulders relaxed.

• Take a long, slow, deep breath in, as much as possible.
• Hold this breath for three seconds.
• Slowly breathe out.
• Take three more deep breaths in the same way.
• Return to breathing normally.
• Try to repeat hourly.

Coughing

The breathing exercise should be followed by a cough. It is very important to cough effectively after a chest injury so that you can clear any sputum promptly and help prevent a chest infection.

Discomfort may be reduced by using a folded towel or pillow to support your chest while coughing.

If you feel that you are unable to clear your chest effectively or are concerned about an excessive amount of sputum, please inform your nurse who will refer you to the respiratory physiotherapist.

Repeat the breathing exercises and coughing at regular intervals for the first few days following your injury.

They may be discontinued when you are walking independently and your chest is clear. 

Early mobilisation

You will be assisted by the nursing staff or physiotherapist to mobilise as soon as possible after your injury. It is essential your pain relief is adequate to enable you to do this.

What to do once you are discharged from hospital?

It’s very important to continue to take regular pain relief as prescribed.

Once you have been discharged from hospital make an appointment to see your GP within three days.

Your GP may order a follow up chest x-ray and monitor your broken rib(s).

You need to tell your GP:

• If you are feeling more unwell since going home.
• If you develop a fever.
• If your pain medication is not working.
• If you are not able to deep breathe or cough.
• If you are a smoker.
• If you are constipated from pain medication.

Take your hospital discharge summary with you. This summary tells the GP what has happened, tests done and what should happen with your care.

You should seek medical advice immediately from either your GP or emergency department if you have any of the following symptoms after discharge:

• Sudden onset of chest pain.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Shortness of breath.
• Uncontrolled pain.

How to contact us

Major Trauma Team

Gate 19, Level 2

Brunel Building

Southmead Hospital

Bristol

BS10 5NB

Telephone: 0117 414 1546

Email: MajorTrauma@nbt.nhs.uk

© North Bristol NHS Trust. This edition published July 2022. Review due July 2025. NBT002945

What is gastroenteritis?

Gastroenteritis is an infection in the gut which causes diarrhoea and/or vomiting. It can also cause tummy pain and a raised temperature. It is usually caused by a virus, and most children are able to recover at home with simple treatment. The diarrhoea and vomiting can lead to dehydration, when too much water is lost from the body.

How long does it last?

Gastroenteritis can cause symptoms which last up to 2 weeks, but most cases last for a much shorter time.

What can I do to help?

If your child has a temperature or tummy pain then give paracetamol according to the instructions on the bottle.

Offer small amounts of fluid to drink frequently. Do not offer a full bottle or cup of fluid at once as a large volume may make your child vomit again.

What kind of drinks should I give?

You can continue the usual drinks your child has including milk, but avoid full strength fruit juice or fizzy drinks.

Oral rehydration solution (e.g. dioralyte) is a salt and sugar solution which comes in sachets which helps to replace what is being lost. This can be used to supplement your child’s normal fluids.

If your child is breast-fed, you should continue to breast–feed. You may need to feed them more often, and some children need additional formula feeds.

If your child is formula-fed you should continue giving full-strength feeds, but small amounts more frequently.

What about food?

Don’t worry if your child doesn’t feel like eating. Offer food that isn’t too fatty or sugary – try crackers, toast or plain biscuits to start with. Their appetite will improve as they start to recover.

When should I ask for more help or advice?

Seek advice if:

• The diarrhoea has blood in it.
• Your child becomes more sleepy, lethargic or irritable than usual.
• Your child seems unable to keep any fluids down.
• Your child has a high temperature.
• Your child has more than 9 loose stools in 24 hours.
• Your child has severe abdominal pain.

You can call your health visitor or General Practitioner.

You can call the 111 advice line.

If you are worried your child is becoming more unwell you should return to the Emergency Department.

When can my child return to school or nursery?

When 48 hours has passed since their last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting then they are safe to return

How can I stop it happening again?

Gastroenteritis is an infection which can be passed on from person to person or in contaminated food. Always wash hands before preparing food or eating, and after nappy changes or going to the toilet.

Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should not share towels with other children and should not swim in a public swimming pool until 2 weeks after recovery.

References

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2009); Clinical Guideline 48, Diarrhoea and Vomiting in Children. Available at www.nice.org.uk

Bristol Royal Hospital for Children local guideline on Gastroenteritis

How to contact us

Hospital switchboard: 0117 950 5050

© North Bristol NHS Trust. This edition published December 2022. Review due December 2025. NBT002853

It can be very frightening when a child has a febrile convulsion, but children usually recover well and are able to return home from the Emergency Department. This leaflet aims to answer some common questions about febrile convulsions and gives some practical advice.

What is a febrile convulsion?

A febrile convulsion is a fit (a seizure) which happens when a child has a high temperature.

It usually happens in children aged between 6 months and 6 years old.

About 3 in 100 children have a febrile convulsion.

What does it look like?

A convulsion is caused by increased activity in the brain.

This usually means that the affected person becomes stiff, their arms and legs may jerk, and they become unaware of their surroundings.

They are usually sleepy and confused for a while afterwards.

What should I do if my child has a febrile convulsion?

• Try to stay calm.
• Lie your child on their side on a flat surface, for example the floor.
• Wait for the convulsion to stop.
• DO NOT restrain or shake your child.
• Usually the fit stops within five minutes. Your child may be sleepy afterwards. If the fit has stopped arrange for a doctor to see your child by contacting your GP.

When should I call an ambulance?

Call 999 if:

• The convulsion lasts longer than five minutes.
• Another convulsion starts after the first one stops.
• Your child has difficulty breathing or looks very unwell.

Will my child have another convulsion in the future?

Most children will only ever have one febrile convulsion but a few will have more than one.

After the age of 6 it is very rare for a febrile convulsion to happen.

Very few children who have a febrile convulsion go on to have seizures in later life (epilepsy).

What should I do if my child has a fever?

Do

• Keep your child lightly dressed and give cool drinks.
• Give paracetamol (‘Calpol’) or ibuprofen (‘Nurofen’). These can be bought from the chemist and can help bring a temperature down.

Do not

• Bathe your child in cold water or put them directly in front of a fan.

References

Jones et al, (2007) Childhood febrile seizures overview and implications, I.J.M.S.

Armon K et al, (2003) An evidence and consensus based guideline for the management of a child after a seizure Emergency Medicine Journal.

Contact us

Telephone: 0117 414 5100

© North Bristol NHS Trust.  This edition published July 2022. Review due July 2025. NBT002255

A high fever does not necessarily mean that your child has a serious illness. Fever is a sign of infection which is usually caused by a virus, but occasionally a bacterium. Bacterial infections are usually treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics do not kill viruses. Fever is thought to be a normal reaction by the body as it fights the infection.

Management of fever

Treat fever if you feel that it is making your child uncomfortable and irritable. You can do this by doing the following:

1. Dress your child in light clothing. Do not overwrap.
2. Give your child small drinks of clear fluid frequently. Do not worry if your child refuses to eat.
3. Keep your child cool, but cool them gently. Do not fan.
4. Give a children’s paracetamol medicine e.g. Calpol at the dose stated on the bottle or you can give Ibuprofen syrup (not if asthmatic) (NICE).
5. Repeat the dose 4 hourly until the temperature is normal and then 6 hourly for a further 24 hours.

Do not give children aspirin.
Do not exceed stated dose.
Keep medicines safe from children.

When to see your doctor

If you are concerned about any of the following:

1. Child looking sicker than previously, especially if pale when hot.
2. Complaints of stiff neck, light hurting eyes or a severe headache.
3. Unusual rash (especially if like a bruise).
4. Difficulty breathing.
5. Drinking less that ½ of normal intake in 24 hours or less than 4 wet nappies in 24 hours.
6. Vomiting.
7. Drowsiness.
8. No improvement after 48 hours.
9. Excessive pain.

If you are unsure of anything, please do not hesitate to telephone us. A nurse is always available to give advice and will be happy to help.

Contact us

Telephone: 0117 414 5100

© North Bristol NHS Trust. This edition published July 2022. Review due July 2025. NBT002254.

When you are discharged from hospital after being critically ill, it will take time to recover physically and emotionally. We feel it is important to ensure you are not alone during this time. 

Our Follow-Up Clinic aims to support you and your family through this journey. As one of the largest ICUs in the country we treat around 250 patients a month so we have a huge number of potential visitors to our follow-up clinic. To manage waiting times we actively invite certain groups of patients to attend. This is based on how long a patient was in the ICU and their condition. If you are not contacted by us, but feel you would like to discuss your time in the ICU please contact us by email. 

For those who we actively contact, we aim to get in touch about 8 weeks after you are discharged from hospital. We ask you to complete a health questionnaire to give us more information about your recovery. Once your questionnaire has been completed and returned to the Follow-Up Clinic, a member of the team will contact you. They will discuss your recovery in more detail to find out whether you would benefit from more input. In this case, you may be invited back to the hospital for a face-to-face or virtual meeting with the team. We will aim to establish any current issues, assist you to deal with these, or direct you to available support.    

We also welcome feedback from patients and relatives about their experience on ICU, and what we can do to improve our care in the future. If there is anything you would like to feedback, please contact us via our email address: icufollowup@nbt.nhs.uk 

Useful links

• Life after a critical illness
• ICUsteps: Fact sheets about what to expect after an ICU admission, and patient stories.
• Healthtalk: Real life patients talking about their experiences in ICU.

Referrals

We accept referrals to the follow-up clinic from wards, specialty clinics, GPs and patients themselves. 

If you are a clinician please contact icufollowup@nbt.nhs.uk  if you have a patient you would like to refer or visit ICU Follow-up NBT (Remedy BNSSG ICB) for more information. 

South West Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS) Network – For Clinicians

In order to refer patients to the South West Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS) Network visit the referapatient website at www.referapatient.org/patient/genericreferraltypeform.

This service is only for patients that meet network criteria as stated on the Placenta Accreta Spectrum pathway. Please read the pathway guidance below: 

- Booked pregnancy within the South West of England

- Have had uterine surgery/procedure in the past

- Have been reviewed by a local fetal medicine doctor who has concerns that there may be features of FIGO 2 or 3 PASD (placenta increta or percreta)

Please include as much relevant clinical information as possible including recent imaging and reports. 

This is NOT an emergency referral system. If your referral is an emergency, then please request to speak to our on-call Obstetric Consultant via Switchboard on 0117 950 5050. Once you have spoken to the on-call Obstetric Consultant, then please submit your referral via the referapatient system to ensure follow up and relevant multi-disciplinary planning. 

Regardless of the level of urgency, if you feel that you need to discuss the referral in detail via a telephone conversation, then please feel free to do this on the above number. 

The network team will receive and aim to action your referral within 5 working days.  

Information for patients and carers

Introduction

Being involved in a traumatic event is something that we do not expect to happen.

You may experience a range of unfamiliar emotional and physical reactions associated with the suddenness of the event.

You may have a lot of questions about these reactions.

This information tries to answer some of the most common questions with some information and guidance.

There are no right or wrong ways to react, and different people experiencing the same trauma may respond in quite
different ways. Encouragingly, for most people the distress caused by traumatic injury starts to settle during the first few weeks as a person’s physical recovery progresses. For some people however, the emotional impact can become a concern.

How can I help myself overcome difficult emotional reactions?

• Reminding yourself that having a range of emotions is very natural. It can be very up and down in the first few days or weeks following the event.
• Try to settle back into your usual routine as much as you are physically able to. This will help you feel safer more quickly.
• Get plenty of sleep, rest and relax, eat regularly and healthily.
• Try to manage responsibilities and demands one at a time.
• Reminding yourself that the traumatic event is over and that you are now safe.
• When your feelings have settled and you feel safe, calmly go over what happened.
• Try to express yourself freely rather than bottling up your feelings.
• Talk to people you trust. You don’t have to tell everyone everything, but sharing your feelings with someone can often help you feel better.
• Don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed of your feelings and thoughts. Something very unexpected and sudden has happened to you and it is likely that you will have some reactions to the event.

Supporting someone else who has experienced trauma

• Reminding them that they are safe now, and that they have survived the traumatic event.
• Try not to press them into talking about it. Acknowledging that sometimes the person may not want to talk about their experience yet is completely ok.
• Be available to talk when the person is ready.
• Give the person time to talk and express their feelings, at their own pace, and allowing them to talk as much or as little as they feel able to.
• Try not to offer solutions or advice unless asked for this. Just being a listening ear can be a great source of support.
• Allow the person to be upset or angry about what has happened. These are the most common reactions, but not the only way a person might react.
• Reminding the person that they are not to blame, and that this was an unexpected situation that nobody would have anticipated.

Things that can impact your recovery

If it has been several weeks or more and your emotions have not settled and there is no sign of this getting better, it may be helpful to think about what is getting in the way of recovery.

You might need help if you have been experiencing any of the following reactions persistently:

• You want to talk about what happened and feel you don’t have anyone to share your feelings with.
• You find that you are easily startled and agitated.
• You keep experiencing the traumatic event over and again in your mind and have intense emotional reactions to it.
• You have disturbed sleep, unsettling thoughts preventing you from sleeping, or vivid dreams and nightmares are affecting you.
• You are experiencing overwhelming emotions that you feel unable to cope with or experience steep changes in mood that are out of character.
• You feel physically uneasy when you remember or think about the traumatic event.
• You feel emotionally numb or distant from people around you.
• Your relationships seem to be suffering.
• Your performance at work has suffered.
• Someone who you are close to tells you they are concerned about you.

If so, at this point you may be helpful to speak to a professional.

Where to go if you believe you need help

There are some very effective treatments for people experiencing the effects of trauma, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (known as CBT) or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy (known as EMDR).

Most areas have a NHS psychological wellbeing service to which you can self-refer. You might start by contacting your GP.

Some of the services that they might use are listed below.

VitaMinds Service, Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire

www.vitahealthgroup.co.uk/nhs-services/nhsmental-health/bristol-north-somerset-and-south-gloucestershire-mental-health-services/

Let’s Talk Service, Gloucestershire

www.ghc.nhs.uk/our-teams-and-services/letstalk/

BaNES IAPT, Bath & North East Somerset

www.iapt.awp.nhs.uk/talking-therapies-banes

Talking Therapies, Somerset

www.somersetft.nhs.uk/somerset-talking-therapies/

Swindon LIFT Psychology, Swindon

www.iapt.awp.nhs.uk/lift-psychology-swindon

Wiltshire IAPT, Wiltshire

www.iapt.awp.nhs.uk/wiltshire-iapt

NHS 111

Alternatively, contact NHS111 if you are concerned about low mood, anxiety or posttraumatic stress, or visit NHS Choices at www.NHS.uk

Further support

Please note that we are not responsible for the content or views posted on any of the below sites.

ASSIST Trauma Care

Experienced therapists trained to work with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the aftereffects of trauma in line with current evidence based practices.

http://assisttraumacare.org.uk/

After Trauma

A national forum aiming to provide a community for patients and families to rebuild lives and support each other after experiencing a traumatic injury.

www.aftertrauma.org/

Brake

A charity for road safety which provides information and resources for victims of road traffic collisions.

https://www.brake.org.uk/

Headway

Supports people and families after a brain injury.

https://www.headway.org.uk/

ICU Steps

A patient support charity set up by experts by experience, for patients who have been admitted to an Intensive Care Unit.

https://icusteps.org/

Mind

The national association for mental health. A resource for people providing information and signposting, helplines, online forums and low cost counselling.

https://www.mind.org.uk/

The Spinal Injuries Association

Provides support and information to patients and families affected by a spinal cord injury.

https://www.spinal.co.uk/

Winston’s Wish

Supports children and families who are bereaved by the loss of a family member.

https://www.winstonswish.org/

Victim Support

Provides emotional and practical support for people affected by crime and traumatic events.

https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/

The Limbless Association

A patient support charity supporting amputees and people who have experience limb loss.

www.limbless-association.org/

What does the Psychology service offer?

Suffering multiple injuries requiring intensive treatment and rehabilitation is inevitably distressing. The way this unfolds varies a lot between different people and their different circumstances.

Encouragingly, the distress caused by a traumatic injury usually starts to settle as a person’s physical recovery progresses.

For some, however, the emotional impact can become a concern and in those circumstances we have the expertise within our team to help.

Our clinical psychologist is a specialist in this area of work and it is their role to offer effective support in a timely way.

This service has a number of roles, including:

• Offering emotional support, including psychological assessment and interventions, for patients throughout their time in Southmead Hospital and after discharge.
• Supporting patients with the experience of being in hospital.
• Helping patients adjust to living with traumatic injuries, managing the demands of the injury and the demands of rehabilitation more generally.
• Helping patients through the experience of medical interventions. This can include:
  • Supporting and preparing patients if they are anxious about procedures such as blood tests and surgery.
  • Helping patients to talk to their family members about surgery.
  • Supporting patients after surgery.

Frequently asked questions

“I’ve been referred to a psychologist. What can I expect when I meet with the psychologist?”

After asking for your consent to discuss your worries, they will ask about how you are managing with your injuries and your treatment.

They will ask about the things that are most important to you looking ahead in your plan of care with the Major Trauma team.

They can provide information and advice about what others have found helpful and work out what further support you may need.

“What happens to the information I share with the clinical psychologist?”

Information will always be kept private and confidential, unless there is reason to think there is a risk of harm to you or others. The psychologist will talk to you about this first whenever possible.

The psychologist works as a member of your multidisciplinary healthcare team and will communicate with your healthcare team (for example your GP or consultant) about the work they have done with you.

“How long can I see the psychologist for?”

Sessions usually last up to an hour. Sometimes, it may be enough to meet with the psychologist once or twice for you to feel you can take things forward with the support you already have in place, but others need more sessions.

“I can see this could be helpful for me. How do I arrange to see a psychologist?”

If you feel you need this service then it is possible to move this forwards yourself. Either ask someone from your hospital care team or contact the Psychology base. The details are on the back of this leaflet.

Our specialist clinical psychologists are Dr Mattia Monastra, and Dr Joanna Latham who lead the Major Trauma Psychology Service.

Patient feedback

“Thank you for being so easy to talk to. These psychology sessions have been the best thing for me since the accident.” - Mrs H, road traffic collision.

“These appointments were so integral to my healing and my wellbeing. They honestly were really important to me, really helping. The weekly appointments were my safe space. After each session it sets me up for the day with calmness.” - Mr M, work-related crush injury

“This is the first time I’ve really felt heard. Thank you for listening to me.” - Mr P, fall from height

“I’ve never spoken to anyone about my feelings before... I’ve always been a man’s man. After my first session talking with the psychologist, I’ve been speaking to everyone. They were really surprised about how I’ve opened up. I’m having really deep conversations with my friends and family which has helped. I feel like a different person!” - Mr A, injury through assault

“The psychologist had helped me throughout the whole recovery, as an inpatient and outpatient. They helped me think about my needs and helped me realise what I can do and the strength that I have, even though I didn’t know I had it.

The recovery has not been easy in any shape or form but it has been so helpful to be able to speak to the psychologist, learn why and how I think about situations, and to take the difficult step in driving again. There are not enough words for me to express my gratitude for what the psychologist has helped me through.” - Mrs C, road traffic collision.

How to contact us

Major Trauma Office

Gate 19, Level 2, Brunel building

Southmead Hospital

Westbury-on-Trym

Bristol

BS10 5NB

Email: MT&PlasticsPsychologyTeam@nbt.nhs.uk

Phone: 0117 414 1543 (Opening times: Monday - Friday, 8.30am - 4.30pm)