What will hospital be like?
During your stay in hospital, everything will be done to make you feel safe.
Coming to hospital
All the young people at your hospital will be in a similar situation. They will also be getting care and treatment for their mental health. Some may need more treatment or staff support than others, but no one has less right to treatment or should be treated as less important than anyone else. All young people are equally important.
Note: You will be in a hospital that is specifically for young people, but not always. In some very rare circumstances, you might be in an adult unit or hospital. This could be because there are no beds available in a unit or hospital for young people. You will only be in an adult unit for the shortest time possible.
If you are in an adult unit or hospital, there should be separate sleeping and bathroom areas for young people. Everything should be done to make sure that you feel safe, and that you are not bothered by the other patients.
Some activities that might be available in your hospital include:
The environment should be suitable for you and other young people. There should be things available that you and other young people like to do. The staff should have specific training to work with young people.
What you can do will obviously depend on your mental health condition and what activities are available at your unit or hospital. Please note that there should also be facilities that allow you to practise any religious or cultural activities.
- The Headspace Support Tools has a timetable where you can record when your activities, school times, one-to-one sessions and meetings will take place. Most units or hospitals have a daily routine where the wake up, mealtimes and visiting times are the same.
Your team should consider your educational needs because you have a right to access education that is suitable for you. Your hospital will have a school that you can attend once you and staff are of the view that you are ready to attend. Teachers will follow the national curriculum and you can still take public examinations (if you are well enough to sit your exams).
You will have a teacher who will help you settle into school and overcome initial worries. They will develop an individual education plan for you and work closely with your usual school. They will help you make the transition back to your usual school when you are discharged from hospital.
Yes, you will be allowed to have visitors. Generally, there will be set visiting times when your family and friends can come and see you. When you are feeling a bit better, they might be able to take you out during these times. This depends on your hospital agreeing that this is a good idea for you.
Don’t forget, you will not be alone. You will be in a unit or hospital with other young people who are also struggling with their mental health. While you might sometimes find this difficult, you may make new friends and take part in group activities.
It is a good idea to bring in comfortable clothes, something that is comforting or supportive and something to read with you. Think carefully about what you want to bring in with you and don’t bring in anything you wouldn’t want to get broken or lost. Examples of what you could take into hospital, or ask someone to bring to you, are:
Remember that if you go into hospital in an emergency, you might not have time to think about taking these things with you. If you do not bring all the things you need, you may ask someone to bring things in for you.
In most cases you will not be able to bring anything you could use to harm yourself with, or that someone else on your ward might try to harm themselves with. Things you may not bring into hospital include:
- alcohol
- illegal drugs
- vapes
- cigarettes
- matches
- lighters
You are also not allowed to bring in:
- Glass or sharp items like knives, scissors, razors, mirrors.
- Inappropriate viewing materials like certain magazines, DVDs, computer games.
Your hospital might also have restrictions on alcoholic mouthwash, aerosols, glass containers, perfume, aftershave, dental floss, hair straighteners, nail polish and nail varnish remover.
Your hospital will have a policy on mobile phones and other devices like laptops and tablets. Most of the time, you will be asked to leave your personal mobile phone at home or with your parent(s) or guardian. You might be given a basic mobile phone (that has no camera or internet) to use instead of your personal phone while in hospital. Your parent(s) or guardian may have to consent to you having this. Other times you might be able to make calls using a landline phone in the hospital. Phone use is generally not allowed during meals, school, and therapeutic group activity time. When a hospital has a policy of not allowing phones that have a camera and internet, it is to protect both your privacy and the privacy of the other young people around you.
