At St. Vincent’s Private Hospital, the health and safety of our patients and staff is our priority. Our Infection Prevention Control team maintain the highest standards and all areas are continually disinfected. Staff are required to wear a face mask at all times in clinical areas and a face mask/face covering in non-clinical and in all public areas.  All patients should wear a face covering before entering the hospital and our concierge team will happily provide you with one if needed.

For more information, visit our Staying Safe page or download a copy of our information booklet here.

Pre-admission screening procedures

In line with national and international guidance, we have introduced pre-admission screening procedures to protect you, your family, our patients and staff from the risks of COVID-19. If a risk of COVID-19 is identified through screening, your admission will be rescheduled in consultation with your consultant.

Prior to attending the hospital, patients are reminded of the benefits of ensuring that contact is minimised with people outside of their immediate social group to the greatest possible extent and that social distancing, mask wearing and hand washing/sanitising is used to minimise infection risk on a daily basis.

We have implemented strict screening guidelines for certain procedures for both patients and staff in order to maintain our high levels of safety which include the following. Before having your procedure, all patients will be required to answer a questionnaire to assess the risk of COVID-19.  These questions will be asked over the telephone, prior to your procedure and again on arrival in the hospital.

If you require a general anaesthetic for your procedure, you will also be required to have a COVID-19 swab. An appointment will be made for you to have the swab taken in advance of your procedure and details of the swab test (appointment date and time) will be sent to you by post. A member of our team will also be in contact with you the day before your admission to confirm your arrival time. In the event your swab is positive for COVID-19, your surgery will be rescheduled and you will be given a future date.

If you require an overnight stay as an inpatient you will be required to have a COVID 19 swab after you have been admitted.

In any other circumstances where you may be required to have a COVID swab prior to admission, you will be contacted by the pre-admission swabbing team and an appointment will be made for you.

Preparing for your hospital stay

Please pack toiletries, nightwear, appropriate non-slip footwear, a dressing gown and any mobilising aids you might need, such as a walking stick, crutches, frame or wheelchair. You will have ample wardrobe storage space in your room and there is no need to bring hand towels or bath towels, as these are provided.

Bring any medicines, tablets or supplements you are taking in their original packaging. These will be stored in a safe in your room and used to help the doctor to prescribe additional medication accurately.

The day of your arrival

When you arrive go straight to Admissions on the Ground Floor – beside the main entrance to the hospital. Admissions is open Monday to Friday from  06:45 – 18:00 and on Saturdays from 06:45 – 12:00

When you arrive in Admissions, you will be registered by a member of staff and asked to complete any necessary insurance documentation.

• Please note that patients for admission outside of normal opening hours should check-in at the main reception of the hospital.
• If you are unable to attend (as an inpatient or day case) please contact the admissions office on (01) 260 9300 or email admissions@svph.ie.
• In the unlikely event that there may be a delay in your admission, we will contact you as early as possible and your admission will be rescheduled.

Settling into your room

Private patients are accommodated in spacious single rooms, while semi-private patients are assigned twin rooms – all overlooking Dublin Bay or Elm Park Golf Course. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms and hand/bath towels are all provided. Multi-channel flat screen TVs, direct dial telephones and WiFi are all available in each room.

Day of Surgery Admissions Lounge

The Day of Surgery admission service is designed to provide a streamlined comfortable admission experience for patients. When you arrive at the hospital, please check in to the central admissions office on the ground floor. If you are being admitted via the Day of Surgery Admissions Lounge (DOSAL), you will then be directed to the DOSAL unit where a nurse will carry out your nursing admission assessment. Once your nursing assessment has been completed, you will be asked to wait in our comfortable patient lounge. Any tests such as blood tests, ECG and radiology that have been ordered by your consultant will be carried out before your surgery. You will be taken directly to the operating theatre from the DOSAL and then transferred to your ward after your surgery. All your belongings will be transferred to the ward once you have gone to theatre.

Meeting the clinical team

Shortly after your admission you will meet with the clinical and nursing team who will take you through the elements of your treatment and provide you with a full understanding of planned procedures, treatments, surgeries and any necessary care following discharge.

A patient’s consent is required before certain treatments and procedures, such as surgery, anaesthesia and the use of blood and blood products. As part of the consent process, your consultant will clearly explain the procedure to you, outlining the risks and the benefits. We encourage all patients to actively participate in their care plan, and to ask as many questions as necessary.

Patient Catering

The high standard & quality of the food provided by the Catering Department is a vital part of Patient care. This encourages our patients to eat well, which in turn will provide the nutrition required in order to help in the recovery from surgery or illness.

The Catering team will provide our inpatients with a 14-day menu cycle, all of which have been compiled and nutritionally analysed with the guidance from the Dietetics Department, in line with the Department of Health & Children Guidelines for Food and Nutritional Care in Hospitals.

Meal Service Times

• Breakfast:            08:10
• Lunch:                 12:30
• Evening meal:     17:30

Hot beverage service provided, 10:30, 14:30 and 19:30

Snack n’Go

SnacknGo is our shop located beside reception. The opening hours our Monday to Friday 07:00 – 17:00.

General Patient Safety

Falls Prevention
It is important to remember that, during your stay here, you may be unsteady on your feet due to your condition or your medical treatment. To reduce your risk of having a fall, please use the call bell provided in your room to ask for assistance when moving about.

Wristbands
On admission, you will be provided with a patient identification wristband. It is important that you wear this at all times while staying with us. Please also advise us if you have any food or medication allergies.

Identification
To identify patients correctly, staff members may require you to confirm your name, date of birth and/or medical record number.

Leaving the ward
You must inform a nurse if you are leaving your ward, even if it is only for a short period of time.

Your belongings
You are advised not to bring large sums of money, jewellery or expensive electronic items with you, as we cannot accept responsibility for lost or damaged property. We strongly recommend the use of the safe, which can be found inside the wardrobe in your room.

Smoking policy
St Vincent’s Private Hospital is a smoke-free environment. This includes vaping.

Fire
All staff members are instructed in fire safety, and fire exits are clearly marked throughout the hospital. In the unlikely event of a fire, stay calm and follow the instructions of staff.

Electronic appliances
Some appliances can interfere with hospital equipment, so it is important to first check with a member of staff before personal electronic devices are used i.e. mobile phones, laptops, iPads.

Hot water bottles
For safety reasons hot water bottles are not permitted in the hospital.