If you are admitted to a ward, records containing personal information about you and details about your care in hospital will be kept in a folder by your bedside.
You will be asked to consent to these arrangements when you are admitted. You have the right to refuse consent or withdraw consent at any time without explanation. In which case, the documentation which would have been stored in your bedside folder will be kept in the ward central storage area.
We use bedside folders because it is beneficial to have information about you kept together at your bedside for each healthcare professional to see at a glance. It also helps us to enable you to participate in the planning and reviewing of your care with those looking after you.
If you wish to read your bedside folder, then it is advisable to ask a healthcare professional to go through the information with you. Relatives, friends and carers will need your permissions to read your bedside folder.