Page someone – all sites

To page anyone within the adult Edinburgh hospitals, dial 110 and follow the instructions. Alternatively phone 0 and ask the switchboard.

Arrange imaging

All request forms must be completed on TRAK. All urgent or inpatient requests need to be discussed with the duty radiologist in the reporting room. There is occasionally a mobile MRI facility at SJH, otherwise these scans are carried out at ERI or WGH. All radiological imaging can be viewed using PACS system or through TRAK. It is the FY1&2 and ST1&2s’ duty to ensure that all patients will have the relevant images prior to surgery.

Arrange OPD

After discharge from the ward, many patients are brought back to clinic for review. There are Plastics Dressings clinics (PDC), which are nurse-led and are used for wound checks and removal of stitches (ROS). The ward clerkess (Liz) or secretaries will arrange these appointments if asked to do so.

Use computers

All trust computers require a personal password. You will be provided with details of your login at induction. Any action you take whilst logged on will be recorded under your name. Do not under any circumstance give your password to anyone else.

Use TRAK

TRAK is used throughout NHS Lothian for ordering tests, checking results and reviewing clinic letters. It is available on all computers via your personal log in. You must never access the records of patients to whom you have no clinical responsibility and this includes family, friends and yourself. You will be caught.

Order blood tests

Phlebotomists serve the ward on a daily basis, although the exact time may vary, especially at weekends. If results are required urgently, take the blood yourself. Some nurses are trained to take bloods but you have to ask them nicely as they are usually busy doing many other things. Nursing staff in the pre-admission clinic will often take blood for you. Out of hours you have to call or page the lab technicians to let them know you are sending a sample. Blood is then collected by the porters. You have to call 52084 (porters) each time you have specimens to go to the lab out of hours, or for urgent samples. The porters come routinely for specimen collection in the ward. Leave routine samples in the blue tray in the sluice on ward 18.

Write a discharge letter

As in all hospitals we are financially penalised if these are not sent out within 10 days of discharge. The FY2/ST1/ST2s and SpRs complete the immediate discharge summaries on TRAK. Ensure that the correct diagnosis, procedure, discharge medications and follow up instructions are documented. Also include a brief description of the history, treatment and outcome.

Arrange clinical photography

In plastic surgery many of our patients require pre and post operative photography. For the most part this is carried out in clinic or at pre admission. To arrange imaging, please call the medical photography department and complete a patient medical photography consent form.