Flowers for patients at Tunbridge Wells Hospital

Where the hospital is

Tunbridge Wells Hospital is a large district general hospital in Pembury, just north-east of Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent. It is run by the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. The hospital stands on Tonbridge Road, around half a kilometre north-west of Pembury village and close to the A21, and woodland surrounds it on three sides. Despite the name it lies outside the boundaries of Royal Tunbridge Wells, which is why it was refused the Royal prefix.

Its predecessor on the site was a workhouse designed by John Whichcord, opened in 1836, which later became Pembury County Hospital and joined the NHS in 1948. Shane MacGowan was born there in 1957 and Dame Kelly Holmes in 1970. The new hospital opened in stages in 2011, with maternity first in January and the rest on 21 September, when services moved across from the Kent and Sussex Hospital.

Single rooms and what they mean for flowers

The hospital has 512 beds, and every inpatient has their own room with en-suite facilities and large windows overlooking the woodland. That layout changes how gifts work. A vase of flowers in a private room is visible only to the patient and their visitors, and there is no shared bay to think about. It is still wise to phone the ward first, since some areas such as intensive care, and some specialist units, do not accept cut flowers.

Ask the ward whether the patient is in a single room now, whether water in a vase is acceptable, and whether a potted plant is better. Staff would rather answer a quick call than deal with a delivery they cannot pass on.

How to address the order

Write the patient's full name, the ward and the room number if known on the order, followed by Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Tonbridge Road, Pembury, Kent. Make sure the Pembury address is included, because many people assume the hospital is in the town of Royal Tunbridge Wells itself. A short, friendly card message is enough; nurses are busy and will pass it on quickly.

Reception desks handle a stream of parcels, and weekend cover can be thinner than on a weekday. Choose a weekday delivery for the best chance of the gift reaching the patient on the same afternoon that it arrives.

What suits a private room

Because a private room has more space than a bay, a medium-sized arrangement in a low vase fits well on a table. Choose lightly scented flowers such as roses, freesias and tulips, which last in warm rooms. If the patient has just had surgery, avoid heavy scents. For a new mother, the maternity unit sees nearly 100 babies born every week, so pastel flowers are traditional, but call ahead as maternity areas can have their own rules.

The emergency department and the wider area

The emergency department treats about 50,000 patients every year, and not everyone who passes through is admitted to a ward. Where the patient has been admitted, the ward will tell you whether flowers are welcome. If you are not sure which ward, ring the switchboard and give the patient's full name.

Pembury is a large village with a population of 6,128 at the 2011 census, and its village green and High Street area are a conservation area. Relatives who stay nearby may enjoy a walk there while waiting.

Practical tips and alternatives

Orders placed before 3pm Monday to Friday can be delivered the next day, by a local florist or by courier. Choose a weekday delivery date when you order and keep the card message brief. If the patient is leaving soon, wait and send flowers to their home instead. A bouquet that arrives a few days after discharge often means more than one among many cards in the first week.

Did you know? Every inpatient at Tunbridge Wells Hospital has their own room with en-suite facilities, and the singer Shane MacGowan and the athlete Dame Kelly Holmes were both born on the Pembury site.