Packing list for a hospital stay
For a planned stay in hospital: clothes, toiletries, the important papers and what makes the time there easier.
Hospital bag
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What comes to hospital – and what stays at home
For a planned hospital stay, a medium-sized bag you can carry yourself is usually enough. Pack comfortable clothes for the days on the ward, one set for going home and a bag for worn laundry. Whether towels are provided varies; ask what your ward has.
Valuables are better left at home: jewellery, large amounts of cash, anything you would hate to lose. Not every bedside cabinet locks. A little change for the shop, the vending machine or the bedside TV is enough.
The papers for admission
On admission to hospital you will usually be asked for your admission letter and some ID, and for your insurance details if you have private cover. Reports, scans and an allergy card save questions if they are right there. Which documents your hospital wants to see is often in the admission letter; otherwise, ask them.
Bring your medicines and your medication list. The hospital will tell you what you take yourself during the stay. An advance decision or a lasting power of attorney, if you have one, belongs with the papers too.
What often goes missing in hospital
In hospital, the things you wear every day are the ones most often missing: glasses, hearing aids, dentures. They are not in the wardrobe, so they slip through when you pack. Think of the case, spare batteries and a box, so nothing disappears from the bedside table at night.
The socket is often a long way from the bed, so a long charging cable helps. If you share a bay, earplugs and an eye mask are worth a lot. Slippers you can step into without bending down, and bendy straws for drinking lying down, make the days easier.
Write down your questions for the doctors before you leave home. Ward rounds are short, and with a note you will not forget anything.
For your next stay
If you go into hospital more often, for recurring treatment for example, your own template makes packing quicker. Adjust the list after the first stay: cross out what you did not use, add what was missing and save it as your template. Or archive the list after your stay and pack it again from the archive next time.
If it is not a planned stay but a birth, there is a separate list for that: the hospital bag for birth. Your hospital’s own instructions come first.
How it works
“Start with this list” opens the template – once you have signed in with your email address.
Add more templates, such as “Before leaving” for the water, the heating and the plants. Nothing appears twice.
Create the list, tick it off, archive it after the trip – and pack it again next time.
Good to know
- Can I change the list?
- Yes. Your list is yours: add, rename, move and delete items. The template stays as it is.
- Does it cost anything?
- No. No subscription, no ads. All you need is an email address, no password.