Hospital Visitors, Tips For Northwick Park Hospital

 

1 Know which department to visit. 

I was sent a letter to go for a blood test at Northwick Park hospital. When I arrived there were separate car parks and entrances miles apart for differnt departments. If I parked in the wrong place, I would have to take a long walk and pay twice  and be late for my appointment. There was no answering service at car park entrances to get advice. I had no idea where to go. I didn't know that the department I needed was haematology. 

I went to see my uncle's body in the morgue in Barnet hospital. No such building. They don't label it as such inhospitals because it unnerves the patients and visitors. Instead it has a mystery name to disguise it such as the trees or the John Smith building. 

Check the drop off points. The A & E may be for ambulances over, no access for cars and taxis. 

2 Take with you food and water and a change of clothing. 

You could be sitting hours waiting for your name to be called.. 

3 Know which name you are registered under. 

You may use your middle name, but be known by your first name to the hospital. If you are waiting to be called as John or Mary when your first name is Ali or Mae you might miss the call.

4 Check all facts on the hospital typework. 

I was listed as having an accident in a bedroom when I fell over an uneven paving stone in the street. It makes a big difference if you are suing somebody. I was able to phone and correct it. The person who answered said they would post the new version to me.

5 Shop around

if you have to wait, such as for medicine to be dispensed, while waiting you can go shopping, and shop around for the cheapest sandwiches or meal deals. At Northwick Park hospital on the fourth floor you find a Costa, a shop selling cards and scarves, gloves and gifts, a bag shop,a Marks & Speners, A Smiths bookshop.

6 In A and E by the check in area are masks, jugs of water, toilets, each with washbasins in the cubicle, a machine selling chocolate bars and snacks and drinks.

Also free newspapers.

Newspapers. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Useful Websites

https://nhsgp-online.uk/area/

https://www.nhs.uk/services/hospital/northwick-park-hospital/R1K01

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A shared church, synagogue and mosque in Berlin

 As you travel and land safely, you might mutter to yourself, thank God for that.  Some people choose to visit a prayer room before departure or after landing.

Multi-faith buildings are not new. First let's point out that a building which was built for one faith, later sold or taken over and converted for use by another faith is a different matter.

If you tour the East End of London, England, you are likely to see the outside of a former synagogue, which the Hebrew lettering, now used as a mosque.

In Spain, a well known tourist attraction is a huge many-columned mosque which after the departure of the Moors, was converted into use by Christians with a church built in the middle.

In another city, you can see a synagogue which was saved, because it was given a new function as a church.  But let's look at new ideas for multi-faith buildings. 

USA

Shared City Building in Washington DC

The idea of a multi-faith building had advantages of shared cost and co-operation, and security as it's harder to destroy a building of another faith if your own is alongside. However, I have seen at least two instances where the entire building was shared. In Washington DC a building was shared by a church and a synagogue. Each group kept its religious items separately and brought them out for services. As a visitor I was unaware that the building was shared until we left. The minister swivelled the signboard as he left. It had the synagogue's name on one side and the church's name on the other side. Saturday for the Jews and Sunday for the Christians. Just switch the sign around ready for the others.

Shared buildings have been used in North West London. While a small, new congregation is waiting or their brand new building, or still fund-raising, they hire the hall or whole building of another religion, sometimes one whose congregation is dwindling.

Airports

Another simpler system was used at a couple of airports and a hospital. A prayer room had the sign for three or more faiths was outside. On request you could ask for the cupboard for your religious faith to be opened.

Northwick Park Hospital, London, England

Another system was used in Northwick Park hospital. If I remember rightly, their chapel has some abstract stained glass windows, as well as entry at more than one level, so you could have individuals praying privately at level 3 signposted for one religion, for level 5 for another. Most of the area, except a table with flowers, is invisble to those above and below. The signs indicate the times when your floor is available. You might have to request a key, or get it unlocked, or, visit a sick person daily, you can be told when the minister will be visiting. If you know more about these places or others, or have any idea, please tell us all.

North London Synagogue

In London in Northwood, a church and synagogue are built alongside and often have events to which the other congregation is invited.

At Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue I went to see a synagogue when they has a sukkah, and spent some time talking to the wife of a member of the Christian congregation next door.

In Singapore multi-faith services are regularly held, for both joyful and serious occasions.

Useful Websites

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/prince.charles.could.be.crowned.in.multifaith.ceremony/7737.htm

https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/plans-unveiled-for-shared-faith-house-dubbed-a-churmosquagogue-in-berlin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multifaith_space

About the Author

Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 

She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

Travelling to hospital for yourself or others? What about food and drink and disappearing, discharged patients?

I read the sad story of a man who discharged himself from hospital, with texts showing he was paranoid. He died in the street. His friend was trying to help him. It happened in Manhattan, New York, USA.

Discharging A Patient From Hospital
What are the lessons to be learned?

This story answers several questions I had previously. Why do terminally ill people discharge themselves from hospital? Because they are paranoid. (Possibly, sometimes, thinking they are not being helped, not without reason.)

Solution? A person who thinks the staff are goblins or aliens is clearly not of sound mind and two members of staff should video the patient to prove it and detain them for their safety and everybody else's. The patient is a danger to themselves. They could get into a fight. They are a danger to others. They could be running into traffic or attacking strangers.

Food & Drink Needed
As for the friend needing to go off to find food and drink dispenser needed. Ideally with healthy food..





UK - Northwick Park
For example, in many hospitals you have a four hour wait in Accident and Emergency. You dare not leave or you will lose your place in the queue.

The last time that happened to me, was in London, at Northwick Park when I went to an x-ray appointment. I had a half hour journey to hospital. I was half an hour early, to avoid the risk of slow traffic and being too late. Then over an our wait. Two hours without food and drink.

I went to the desk and asked them how long it would be. They could not say. I explained that I needed food and drink but did not want to risk losing my place in the queue, and did not know how long it would take to get to the nearest food dispenser.

They said the wait is about 30-45 minutes because you are third in the queue. It will take you ten minutes up to the canteen. Ten minutes back. Make sure you are not there more than ten minutes. Bring the food back with you.

But hospitals have not thought this through. Why? It is all predictable, Repeated worldwide every day, everywhere.

Northwick Park
Now in some areas of Northwick Park, you have a central cafe or drinks stall, a food dispenser near the entrance. A fresh vegetable stall up near the canteen. (But you only know if you are a regular and have been to the canteen before.) Great if you are there for checkups.

More signs needed. Everywhere. At the entrance. In the lift. At every corner. Hospital design needs to be re-thought. Maybe a one-way corridor system to you don't collide with trolleys carrying the sick, infectious and dead.

Why are such disasters still happening in 2020? Why, in a country which is not third world but should be a leading light to the world.?

Hospital Design
Hospitals are badly designed. You have to leave a sick patient to get food and drink for yourself and the patient.

A high sugar quick energy food is not necessarily right. My father in Watford hospital in 2005 was suffering from type two diabetes, but was prescribed sugar drinks in hospital.

Compare Hotels
In a hotel you get room service on demand, trolley service. Food might be left outside the door, if you are able bodied enough to collect it.

Hospitals should have the same service. They should deliver food on demand, to give food and drink to both patients and carers who don't wish to leave them.

Nil By Mouth?
You might think, but what if the patient should not eat or drink because they are likely to need an anaesthetic? The hospital must think this through. For example, a sign over the bed saying no food and giving reason. this is often done. Nil by mouth, say the signs.

But they should say who says so (phone or pager details), why, and for how long this applies. It's no good banning food such as breakfast on Monday morning because an operation is scheduled for 10 am, and then cancelling the operation but the Nil By Mouth food sign stays and leaves the patient without food all day. If the patient has nil by mouth, how will they still alive? Do they need a drip?

UK hospital experience
In the UK hospitals, when my father was in Watford General, I found that where a patient is in bed, usually they can only leave hospital when transport has been provided and the person is going home and a member of the family or approved carer can receive the patient and watch for an relapse.

USA
What went wrong in New York? Communication. If the friend had had the name of the person to contact in A and E, and A and E had been in contact with the friend, maybe this could have been prevented.

Yes, nursing staff are busy. Perhaps more volunteers on reception. What do you think?

Useful Website
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8246357/Tragic-final-texts-sent-retired-NYPD-cop-died-coronavirus-street-Manhattan.html

About the Author
Angela

Author, Author! About the Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. (Not related to the actress.) See books and profiles on Lulu.com and Amazon, such as Wedding Speeches & Toasts, Quick Quotations, Who Said What When. Also watch videos on YouTube.

See other posts on singers and statues and languages and destinations.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Multi-Faith Buildings And Events And Converted Religious Buildings

Problems
I read that the Temple in Jerusalem, described in the books of Kings in the bible, was built by Solomon with help from his northerly neighbour, the ruler of Lebanon who sent logs for beams and decoration carved panels. The temple was in effect, open to more than one nationality and religion. I had previously thought that a multi-faith building, or community centre, was a modern idea. Where do you see multi-faith buildings or ceremonies or events nowadays?

Answers
Many hospitals and airports have multi-faith chapels or rooms for prayer.

I have seen one at Northwick Park hospital. Another is at Heathrow airport in London. Signs and brochures list them at many airports.

A different idea is to use the same buildings cut shared for use on different days.

In the USA, when we were living there in the 1980s, we attended a meeting at a building in Maryland or Washington DC, which was a synagogue on Saturday and a church on Sunday. The sign outside swivelled. On arrival, the person in charge of your group turned the sign. When you left, if you remembered, you might turn it back for the others.

I've heard the same idea of sharing a building suggested for small congregations in NW London. Whoever had a religious building, but cannot afford to run in with a dwindling congregation, can rent it out by the day, or split the annual running costs.

Another option is to take over another religion's building. Two notable examples of this are in Spain.

From a tourist's point of view, in Spain I was intrigued to see a small synagogue which had been converted into a church.

A large and impressive site on the tourist route is the mosque - church of Cordoba in Spain.

In the East End of London an old synagogue (Brick Lane) has been taken over by a mosque.

If you just enjoy the grandeur and decoration of religious buildings, whilst not necessarily wanting to be involved in religions, some lovely conversations of old churches have been made into restaurants in the UK and I went to one in New Zealand.

Universities in the UK are building multi-faith spaces.

UK
http://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/2015/07/24/london-east-end-synagogue-bought-by-neighboring-mosque
https://www.heathrow.com/airport-guide/terminal-facilities-and-services/prayer-rooms-and-chapel
http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/at-the-airport/airport-facilities/faith-and-worship/

SPAIN
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synagogue_of_El_Transito
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque–Cathedral_of_Córdoba

HONG KONG
Multi-faith space at airport.

CANADA
Toronto multi-faith buildings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multifaith_space

GERMANY
Church-mosque-synagogue planing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27872551

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.