Occasionally a patient will report and be admitted a day earlier than the date of their surgery. This is often if their surgery is scheduled to be the first case in the morning or the patient may wish to settle in and soothe some nerves. 
The staff on the Ward (Recovery/Ward) will want to know that the patient will require a bed so that they can ensure that one is available when they are reporting and also so that it is made up and meals have been ordered. 
Admissions for the day prior to surgery are easily catered for within the Hospital Booking application.

At the initial booking 

The staff entering the booking can easily add the information needed to alert the hospital staff that a patient will be reporting earlier than their day of surgery.

1. Create a booking in Appointments > Hospital Bookings > Surgical
2. In the 'Days Before' field, enter the number of days the patient will be coming in ahead of their surgery date. 
   

Changing an existing booking

1. Go to Appointments > Hospital Bookings > Operating List and select the patient 
2. Select the patient and click on the Edit button. 
   NOTE: The surgery is on the 14^th.
   
   
   
3. Click on the 'Admission Details' button. 
   
   
   
4. Edit the value in the 'Days Before' field e.g. 1 means one day prior to surgery.The Admission Date has now automatically adjusted to the 13^th. 
   
   
   The patient's name will appear in the Today List, on the reporting date, to allow you to admit the patient 
   
   
   The patient's name will also appear on Food/diet reports for the kitchen