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Need to Cancel / Change an Appointment visit: Cancel or change your appointment? :: Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (dgt.nhs.uk)

Appointment text reminder service: Appointment text reminder service :: Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (dgt.nhs.uk) somewhere on here so people are directed to this page? Any suggestions of how this is possible are very welcome. 

 

 

What to expect as an in-patient

We work in conjunction with Hospital Consultants and local GP’s to ensure that patient’s nutritional issues are managed appropriately and effectively.

On the wards we use a nutrition screening tool to identify patients who are at risk of malnutrition, to ensure that they are offered support as soon as possible. Your nurse will weigh you and measure your height in order to calculate a MUST (Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool) or STAMP (Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Paediatrics) score, if you are in hospital for more than 24hrs. This score will then help us to help you get the best nutrition, to aid your recovery.

You will be offered three meals per day and regular drinks. There is a choice of hot and cold foods and if you require more details regarding meals please visit our patient meal service webpage. If however, the food does not meet your needs please let your nurse know so we can arrange alternative meals.

This initiative on all wards has been developed to provide patients with a quiet time to eat their meals without interruptions. The ward rounds and acute clinical care will continue but with consideration for patient’s needs. If you have any queries about catering provision at Darent Valley Hospital as an outpatient or a visitor please contact the Catering Department on 01322  428835  or the Nutrition and Dietetic Department on 01322 428439.

This initiative on all wards has been developed to provide patients with a quiet time to eat their meals without interruptions. The ward rounds and acute clinical care will continue but with consideration for patient’s needs. If you have any queries about catering provision at Darent Valley Hospital as an outpatient or a visitor please contact the Catering or the Nutrition and Dietetic Department.

You will be referred to the Dietitian if you require additional input to enhance your nutrition for example, if you have a swallowing difficulty, need to follow a special diet following surgery or if you have a poor appetite.

The dietary advice for diabetes is based around healthy eating guidelines.  The menu is coded with a  ♥ symbol to highlight choices which contain moderate amounts of fat, sugar and salt when a standard portion is served.

For those who wish to estimate their carbohydrate portion sizes, carbohydrate content information is available for our menus.  Please ask ward staff for this.

Snacks are available on the ward if you need them.  

If you are coming in with complex needs, please contact the Nutrition and Dietetic department in advance on 01322 428439 if possible to arrange for a diabetes specialist dietitian to contact you.

If you have gestational diabetes and find that the menus on the maternity wards do not meet your needs, please inform your nursing team who can arrange for a member of the catering department to visit you to discuss suitable options.

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Page last edited: 6 August 2020