Patients and visitors
This section also includes information on:
MyChart, our website and app for patients
How to help prevent infections in our hospitals
Accessibility guide
Access guides, compiled by AccessAble, give detailed information about accessibility at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH). They help people with accessibility requirements to plan their visit.
Where will I have my appointment?
Your appointment letter will confirm:
- the hospital your appointment will take place at
- the clinic or ward
- any preparations you need to make.
Medical records
You can:
Smoke-free hospital
We are a smoke-free hospital. Patients, visitors and staff are not permitted to smoke anywhere in the hospital or its grounds.
The use of e-cigarettes and vapes is prohibited within hospital buildings, enclosed areas and next to building entrances and exits, but is permitted on the grounds.
We offer help to quit to patients and visitors who want to stop smoking.
My Planned Care
The NHS online platform My Planned Care gives you access to waiting time information for all hospital Trusts in England, including King’s. Please note, the waiting times on the platform are provided at specialty level, and may be different to the waiting time you are given by the team treating you.
Wi-Fi
Free patient Wi-Fi is available at Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) and Orpington Hospital. Patients and visitors can access the internet free of charge 24 hours a day.
To access the Wi-Fi, select the ‘NHS Wi-Fi’ network from your mobile, tablet or laptop. Accept the Terms and Conditions, and click ‘connect’. Patients and visitors accessing the Wi-Fi can use the service to find out information about the hospital, as well as use the internet more widely.
For further information, contact the Wi-Fi Helpdesk on 0344 848 9555.
TV and entertainment
We are proud to offer access to TV, magazines, games and more to all patients, visitors and staff, provided by King’s College Hospital Charity in partnership with WiFi SPARK.
Our entertainment portal is available at King’s College Hospital, Princess Royal University Hospital and Orpington Hospital.
After logging on to our guest Wi-Fi from any internet enabled device you will have access to*:
- live TV on BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel Five
- a variety of children’s channels in the children’s ward, including CBeebies and CBBC (some applications may require subscription)
- a range of radio stations including links to a variety of international stations
- a selection of digitised magazines from the last month including BBC Top Gear, Cosmopolitan, OK!, Beano, National Geographic and many more
- dementia friendly resources designed to stimulate and engage those patients who are living with dementia
- free video calling through the Visionable app
- information about our hospitals, King’s College Hospital Charity, and our events and donation page to stay up-to-date with our hospital activities
As well as this, you can continue to browse as normal using our hospital Wi-Fi. Please remember to bring a pair of earphones or headphones, a charger and your internet-enabled device to ensure you can fully enjoy the entertainment on offer.
Inpatients without a device can borrow tablets on our wards.
*Please note: catch-up TV/on demand services including BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Netflix, Disney+, Spotify and others will be accessible via the new system but only to those with pre-existing personal subscriptions.
How to access the entertainment
1. Log on to our hospital Wi-Fi by going to the Wi-Fi settings on your device and selecting ‘NHS Wi-Fi’.
2. Once you are connected to the Wi-Fi, go into your browsing app, and visit ‘www.wifilounge.co.uk’.
This will take you to the entertainment hub where you will be able to access the selection of SPARK® Media entertainment options.
If you need help with accessing the system, there is a service desk available 24 hours a day, every day. To contact the service desk, call WiFi SPARK on 0344 848 9555 or email support@wifispark.com.
You are welcome here
We work hard to ensure anyone visiting our hospitals and using our services feels welcomed, included, and respected.
Our 14,000 staff come from an incredibly diverse range of backgrounds, and reflect the make-up of the many different communities we serve across Lambeth, Southwark and Bromley.
We also prioritise making sure everyone – regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion – feels welcome when accessing care, and we have policies and processes in place to make sure this is the case.
When visiting our hospitals, you may see this poster in some of the areas you visit. The poster – based on a design by EJ Heine and their colleagues at Sydney Local Health District and NSW Health – is designed to remind everyone that you will be welcomed at King’s and can be yourself during your time with us.
Equality, diversity and inclusion is something we take very seriously as an organisation. Find out more about our work in this area.
Accessible Information Standard
The Accessible Information Standard (AIS) means all NHS Trusts must offer reasonable adjustments to help people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss to fully understand the information we give them. It applies to both communication during an appointment and any information we provide to take away.
If you need any information in a different format, please ask your clinician at your next appointment. We will record your needs for all future appointments.
If you are not getting the support you need, contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team.
Overseas visitors
The National Health Service (NHS) provides free hospital treatment for people who live in the United Kingdom only.
If you do not normally live in this country and you do not meet one of the exemptions from charges criteria you will have to pay for any treatment you need. This is regardless of your nationality; whether you hold a British passport; have lived in and paid National Insurance and taxes in the UK in the past; or have been issued with an HC2 certificate.
There is also information for EU and EEA (European Economic Area) visitors, who are entitled to reduced cost or free healthcare that is clinically necessary if they have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Eligible European visitors must show their EHIC otherwise they may have to pay for NHS treatment.
For further information, please see our patient information leaflet.
How to provide evidence of NHS treatment entitlement
All patients admitted to hospital, or attending an outpatient clinic, whatever nationality and residency, need to provide correct information and evidence of entitlement if requested.
To prove your entitlement, you will need to provide our Overseas Visitors department with one of each of the following documents:
Proof of identity
- Photographic disabled blue badge
- Passport (non-EEA and biometric residence permit (BRP) or digital version of BRP)
- EEA national ID photo card
- Valid UK Armed or Police Forces photo ID
- Digital ID (issued by Home Office)
- National ID card and passport
- UK BRP (or digital version of BRP)
Proof of address or residency
- Notification letter from Department for Work and Pensions or HM Revenue and Customs confirming your right to benefit or state pension
- Home Office letter with current address
- Water, gas, electric or council tax bill
- Telephone bill (landline)
- Bank or building society statement
- Mortgage or rental agreement
Documents to establish your eligibility
- Non-UK European health insurance card (EHIC)
- An immigration naturalisation service document (IND) and application registration card (ARC) (for patients claiming asylum) or digital version by Home Office
- Provisional replacement certificate (PRC) for EHIC
- Any other Home Office issued documents
- EUSS certificate of application (CoA)
- EUSS share code
Contact our Overseas Visitors departments
Princess Royal University Hospital, Orpington Hospital, Queen Mary’s Hospital Sidcup, and Beckenham Beacon
Phone
kch-tr.br-OverseasVisitorsTeam@nhs.net