If you or your child have communication difficulties, it can be a good idea to fill in a hospital passport to take with you whenever you have to attend an appointment or stay over at hospital. A hospital passport gives healthcare staff at the hospital a clear idea of your / your child's needs and how to give you / ypur child the best care.
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has produced a template hospital passport which you can download below:
How does the passport work?
- All patients with communication needs are encouraged to complete a passport with a family member/ carer and to bring it with them to all appointments
- If patient does not have a passport on arrival, staff will be expected to complete one in partnership with the family/carer
- The passport will be kept at the bedside on admission and be a key part of the nurse handover
- The passport will be kept up to date
- A photocopy of the passport will be put into the patients’ medical records