Preparing for your treatment

You’ll have a pre-assessment appointment to review your general health and wellness. This will help our care team plan your treatment safely, and make the admission process as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Before this appointment, you’ll be given a questionnaire to complete – this should only take about 10 minutes.

When you come to your pre-assessment appointment, you’re welcome to bring a friend or family member. Please bring the following:

As part of your assessment, you’ll have some or all of the following tests or investigations as needed:

• Recording of your height and weight
• Blood pressure/heart rate/respiration/oxygen saturation level
• Blood tests
• An ECG (electrocardiogram) – which is a way of recording the rate, rhythm and electrical activity of your heart
• MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) and CRE (carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae) screening for infections such as UTI.

You may also need to be seen by a physiotherapist, therapies or dietician depending on the type of surgery you will be undergoing you will be informed of this at the time of your booking.

We do this to ensure the treatment is right for you. It’s also important for us to identify any issues early on to avoid any delays.

Sometimes the assessment may reveal an unexpected concern such as high blood pressure.

If this is the case, you may need to return to the clinic for a second appointment and need to be seen by an anaesthetist. Or this might need treating before you can proceed with your surgery. In rare cases, we may need to change your admission date and move your treatment day.

Following your appointment, you will be given information about:

• Fasting instructions (as applicable)
• Medication advice
• What to expect on the day of admission
• A guidance information sheet specific to your procedure (where possible)

If you’re sick, have a cold or flu, or if there have been any recent changes in your health before your surgery, call your surgeon to let them know and they can decide what the best course of action may be if anything needs to change from your original treatment plan.

Getting ready for your hospital stay might feel overwhelming, but rest assured, our goal is to make your time with us as safe and comfortable as can be.

The documents provided below offer valuable information to prepare for your stay, allowing us to plan and deliver expert, personalised care tailored to meet your individual needs.

The details provided on this page will assist you in organising your discharge plans before your admission, ensuring a smooth transition for your recovery at home. On your discharge day, kindly arrange to be collected by 11 am to facilitate room preparation for incoming patients. If this is not possible, please discuss this with the nurse as soon as possible.

If you’re having surgery, you’ll need to prepare for your anaesthetic. There are three different types of anaesthetic:

General anaesthetic

When you are fully asleep and do not feel pain during your surgery.

Sedation

When you are injected with a small amount of medication to help you relax and provide pain relief, but you are not asleep.

Local anaesthetic

When you are given an injection to numb an area so you cannot feel pain at the location of the surgery.

If you’re having a procedure under sedation or general anaesthetic, you’ll need to avoid food for six hours and water for two hours.

This is unless you have been advised otherwise by your consultant.

You can have a light meal such as toast and butter up to six hours before surgery.

You may be able to have small sips of clear fluids until you are called for surgery. Your clinical team will give you specific advice based on your procedure.

If your treatment involves sedation or general anaesthetic, you should not drive for 24 hours as you should expect drowsiness, dizziness and slower reactions. For this reason, you should ideally travel home with a responsible adult who can stay with you during this time up to 24 hours. You should not travel alone if you are leaving via taxi or public transport, you should be accompanied.

This is to ensure your safety and help you while you fully recover from the side effects of the anaesthetic.

We recommend you also pack a change of clothes that’s loose-fitting and comfortable for the journey home.

We also recommend bringing a good book or some magazines to keep you occupied after surgery.

Bring your phone and a charger so you can keep in touch with your family and friends for support before and after surgery.

If you need to bring certain valuables into the hospital, please make sure that you are fully covered by your own insurance. Small items can be locked away in our hospital room safe at your own risk.

You will need to follow the standard protocol for any surgical procedure.

You should try to stop smoking and reduce alcohol intake in the weeks before your operation. Your clinical team may also advise you to avoid alcohol in the day before admission.

This will help you recover faster and greatly reduce your chance of complications.

You will have to follow specific instructions before an endoscopy or colonoscopy procedure.

For example, you may need to take a medicine to clear out the contents of your intestines for a colonoscopy or not eat for a few hours before an endoscopy.

You might need a number of physiotherapy sessions to prepare for your surgery.

These will help strengthen your body so you can recover faster after surgery.

Your consultant oncologist will discuss possible side effects with you before cancer treatment.

Knowing what to expect beforehand can ensure that you’re better prepared for them.

During your appointment, your consultant will be able to advise you on what you need to do to prepare. This may include specialist advice on diet and exercise.

Normally we would aim for you to have a two-week cooling-off period so you can weigh up the risks and benefits of treatment, make home arrangements etc.

Your care team need to know exactly what medicines you usually take, so we can prescribe and administer them as your doctor intended.

This includes any oral medication used to manage diabetes, anticoagulants or blood-thinning medication.

Your consultant or anaesthetist may ask you to change how you take your medication for your treatment to be effective.

If that’s the case, we’ll adjust your prescription temporarily around the time of your surgery.

Following surgery, your consultant will recommend how you can restart taking your medication.

Your dedicated pharmacist will ensure that there is enough supply of your regular and new medications during your stay.

You will need to bring all of your medicines with you to the hospital. Be prepared to come with a recent copy of your repeat prescription if you have one.

If you have any questions about your medicines before arrival, please contact your consultant at any time.

Please bring the following in their original boxes:

GLP-1 Medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro) and Surgery

What are GLP-1 medications?

Medicines such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are used to help manage diabetes and weight loss.

They may also be known as:

• Semaglutide
• Tirzepatide
• Dulaglutide
• Liraglutide
• Exenatide
• Lixisenatide

These medications work by mimicking natural hormones that help regulate appetite and slow stomach emptying.

Why does this matter for surgery?

Because GLP-1 medications slow stomach emptying, they can affect:

• Fasting requirements
• Anaesthesia
• Surgical planning

In rare cases, they may increase certain risks around the time of surgery.

What should you do?

If you are taking a GLP-1 medication and are planning to have surgery, please inform:

• Your pre-assessment team
• Your anaesthetist
• Your surgeon

This information is important for your safety.

Will I need to stop my medication?

Not always.

Decisions about continuing or temporarily stopping your medication are made using shared decision-making between you and your clinical team.

Your doctors will consider:

• Your procedure
• Your medical condition
• Your blood sugar control

Stopping GLP-1 medication may increase blood sugar levels, which can also affect surgical risk. For this reason, plans are made individually.

Current guidance

With appropriate assessment and planning, GLP-1 medications do not automatically need to be stopped before surgery

• Clear communication with your healthcare team allows safe planning and reduces risk.
• Always follow the advice provided by your anaesthetist or surgeon.
• If you have concerns about your medication, please speak with your clinical team.

We have interpreters on hand to help you understand information about your procedure if English is not your first language. Just let us know in advance if you need or would like one.

If you have a carer or you’re a carer of a patient coming to us, let us know in advance so we can make the appropriate arrangements.

You should try to stop smoking and drinking alcohol in the weeks before your operation. You should also avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours before admission. You’ll get more benefits the sooner you stop, so if you can stop earlier than that, it will go a long way to helping your recovery.

Specially trained physiotherapists will help you get a head start on your recovery.

You’ll have your own personalised plan including gentle stretches and exercises to help get you back on your feet.

These services may be chargeable.