Being a patient at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital

For more information about how to get to Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital please see the related link on 'how to find us'.  Please note that Martin Ward has its own car park and a separate entrance.  All parking at the hospital is free.  If you need help getting to the Hospital, please speak to your GP who can request the use of the Patient Transfer Service.

Please note that admission to Martin Ward is not available after 6pm on weekdays, or at any time on weekends or bank holidays. 

Please bring any medication that you are currently taking with you when coming into the hospital.  You will also need to bring clothes, pyjamas, dressing gowns and toiletries with you, however we will provide towels.  If it would make your stay easier, please feel free to bring photographs and other personal items too. 

A small bedside locker is provided for your personal items, however please note that the hospital accepts no responsibility for them.  If you wish to purchase, for example, additional newspapers or snacks whilst you are in hospital, it is advised that you only bring a small amount of money in with you to do so.       

If you so wish, money and valuables brought into the Hospital may be safely deposited with hospital staff and released upon presentation of the receipt.

When you arrive at Martin Ward please go to the nurses station and speak to the nurse in charge.  A member of staff will then show you to your bed and help you to settle in.  Your doctor will then see you at an appropriate time. 

Patients on Martin Ward are provided with 3 meals a day, and snacks are provided as required.  All food is prepared on site and breakfast is served at 8am, lunch is at 12noon and supper is served at 5:30pm.  Special dietary requirements can be catered for, so please advise ward staff of any particular arrangements that need to be made.

All rooms on Martin Ward are single sex, and curtains surround all beds for additional privacy.  Toilets and bathrooms have locks and clear signs.  There are a number of side rooms available for patients who require further privacy, and these are allocated at the discretion of Martin Ward staff.

Patients on Martin Ward are welcome to make the most of the entertainment facilities when they feel up to it. There is a television, as well as books and puzzles, available in the main lounge for patient use. Newspapers are delivered daily to the ward, including the Manx papers and The Daily Mail, and if you would like to order a specific newspaper please speak to a member of staff who will organise the ordering and payment for this with you. Furthermore, hand massages are offered to patients on a Thursday afternoon, and volunteers organise a library trolley on a Friday afternoon.  Hospital volunteers also serve tea and coffee to patients on a daily basis, and are often around for a chat and some company.

Friends and family are welcome to visit patients on Martin Ward.  Visiting hours are between 1:30pm and 5:30pm, and 6:30pm and 8pm. The ward is closed to visitors between 5:30pm and 6:30pm for supper. Visits outside of normal visiting hours are at the discretion of Hospital staff. For more information about visiting, please see the link to visitor information.

Patients are welcome to use their mobile telephones when on Martin Ward.  If you do not have access to a mobile telephone there are patient phones available for you to speak to friends and family - please ask staff for more information.  Any electrical equipment, such as laptop computers, brought onto the ward must be checked by Hospital staff, and if you would like to access the internet please bring a dongle with you.

Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists visit patients on Martin Ward on a daily basis.  Inpatients on Martin Ward also have access to the other services provided at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital as required, including the Phlebotomy (Blood) Clinic for blood tests.

If at any point during your time on Martin Ward you require transferring to Noble's Hospital, we will arrange for transport and an escort to get you there.

We encourage you to not smoke whilst in hospital. Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital is a no smoking building, however there are designated smoking areas.  Please ask staff for directions.

The hospital chaplain, B. Evans Smith of the Church of England, visits the hospital at least once a week. Staff can contact other religious leaders or denominations as required, so please feel free to discuss this with them. 

Hospital fire alarms are tested every Tuesday morning.  If the fire alarm sounds at any other time the evacuation procedure begins.  Please follow the directions of our fully trained staff.

When you leave Martin Ward it is important you understand the medical directions that staff have given you, so if you have any questions please ask the staff. When leaving please make sure you have all belongings with you and remember to ask staff for any valuables you handed to them upon arrival. In preparation for your discharge from hospital, ensure that you have suitable outdoor clothing to wear. If you are returning home, it may be a good idea to ask a friend or family member to make sure the heating is turned on, and to purchase any groceries you may need. If you need help getting home, hospital staff can help to arrange transport for you.

If you have any other questions about being a patient at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital please contact Martin Ward.  The ward is open 24 hours a day and can be contacted at any time of day or night.