Patient and visitor information for Shepton Mallet Hospital

Parking on-site is available to all patients and visitors, free of charge.

We have free Wi-Fi access and patients can make free telephone calls from their bedside. Each bed also has its own television, which is free of charge too, so you won’t miss your favourite programmes!

All areas of our hospital are accessible to wheelchair users.

Our patient information is available in a range of languages and in large print and Braille upon request.

We have an interpretation service available to support you if English is not your preferred language.

Please let a member of our booking team know prior to your appointment if you have any special requirements.

There is an on-site café for visitors and our chef prepares fresh meals daily using local produce for our patients. Our menu changes regularly and offers a good variety of food and beverages at a reasonable price. It has even been awarded a Soil Association Food for Life Gold Catering Mark.

Visiting hours are from 10am-8pm and 6pm-8pm, with respect for protected meal times – lunch is at 12.30pm and supper is at 6pm.

If you’re staying with us, you’ll either be in a single en-suite room or a same-sex shared en-suite room depending on your preference – subject to availability. This is part of our commitment to patient dignity, and helps ensure a more comfortable and relaxed stay.

When you arrive please register at reception so we know you’re here.

One of the benefits of being treated at our hospital is the ‘one-stop-service’ of your outpatient appointment. Where possible we will complete any pre-treatment tests there and then, to save you making multiple trips, and our anaesthetists and rehabilitation team will assess you at the same time.

Your outpatient appointment is also an opportunity for you to meet the consultant who will perform your treatment. Feel free to ask any questions you wish – you may even want to write these down ahead of your appointment. They will explain any special preparations you may need to make before your treatment.

On the day of your treatment, wear something light and comfortable, so you’re as relaxed as possible.

If you’ll be staying with us, you may want to bring personal toiletries, nightclothes, comfortable footwear, something to read, and any medication you routinely take.

When you leave the hospital after you’ve had your treatment, you’ll be given full details of your follow-up care. We will inform your GP that you’ve been discharged from the hospital, and day case patients are telephoned the day after their surgery to check that they are recovering well.

It’s crucial to rest and take care of yourself after your treatment.

If you have any worries or concerns, please call us at any time on our Patient Advice Line (01749 333 600) to speak to a member of the clinical team. This helpline is designed to ensure that your recovery is as speedy and successful as possible, so please use it as much as you need to.

‘White Coat Syndrome’, also known as White Coat Hypertension or the White Coat Effect, describes a patient experiencing high blood pressure and anxiety when in a clinical situation.

The condition is not uncommon, with as many as 1 in 8 people experiencing White Coat Syndrome.

As well as being potentially upsetting for patients, higher blood pressure as the result of White Coat Syndrome can lead to procedures or treatments being postponed or cancelled where a higher blood pressure reading indicates a potential risk.

At Practice Plus Group Hospital, we will do all we can to help alleviate the symptoms associated with anxiety within these clinical situations, including:

• Inviting patients who are affected by White Coat Syndrome to a tour of the hospital
• Arranging for patients to meet the care team before their treatment
• Offering quiet areas for blood pressure checks
• Taking blood pressure readings several times throughout an appointment – often blood pressure lowers as the patient relaxes.