Your inpatient stay

If you are an inpatient, you will spend at least one night with us in hospital. Here you will find all the important information about your stay.

Registration with us

Registration for inpatient hospitalization at the USZ is usually done via your family doctor or specialist. You will then receive our invitation for a consultation by post. The next steps are usually discussed at this appointment. If an inpatient stay follows, you will receive the necessary information at your appointment or by post. You can also clarify the cost coverage of your health insurance company with them in advance.

Preparing your entry

  • Take a shower before entering the hospital.
  • Do not use any make-up or face or body lotion afterwards, as these can hinder the effect of the disinfectant.
  • Remove nail polish. We recommend removing artificial fingernails.
  • Leave your jewelry at home. Jewelry of all kinds must be removed for surgery (earrings, finger rings, necklaces, piercings, etc.).
  • If anesthesia is planned, follow the rules on food and fluid intake discussed at the appointment.

Admission

You will receive the exact date and time of your hospital admission from our patient scheduling department. Please check in at the reception desk on the day of admission at the designated time. Your caregiver will welcome you to the ward, take you to your room and give you initial information that is important for your stay. You will receive a patient wristband with your personal data. It ensures that we can easily and clearly identify you at all stages of treatment at all times and serves to ensure your safety. Our departments follow a typical daily routine.

When you are admitted, we also think about the time after your stay in hospital. To ensure that you receive ideal aftercare, we will ask you about your home situation and your expectations for your recovery period.

Advantages for semi-privately insured persons Advantages for privately insured persons

What should I take with me?

  • Comfortable clothing – depending on the procedure, tops with buttons or zippers, pants made of stretchy fabric
  • comfortable (house) shoes
  • some cash (e.g. for the kiosk) or the EC card for the ATM
  • Personal hygiene utensils
  • Consumer electronics (music, movies and games with headphones only, please)
  • Medication that you take regularly, with original packaging and medication schedule (if available)

We ask you to leave valuables such as jewelry or expensive watches as well as credit cards, large sums of money or electronic devices at home. The University Hospital Zurich accepts no liability for loss or damage. You can deposit valuables and cash at the main cash desk. There is a bank and post office machine at the USZ.

If you lose something during your stay, our lost property service will help you.

  • Personal identification (identity card, passport or foreigner’s identity card)
  • Insurance card (health insurance, accident certificate)
  • Appointment invitation from us
  • Documents from preliminary examinations (X-rays, doctor’s reports, etc.)
  • Blood group and vaccination card, allergy passport, diabetes control booklet or other medical IDs

If available:

Good to know

Your treatment will be billed directly to your health insurance or accident insurance company in accordance with the current tariffs and contracts. Please clarify the cost coverage of your insurance in advance.

Alcohol can influence the effect of medication and your recovery. Please discuss with your doctor whether you are allowed to consume alcoholic beverages.

The number of parking spaces on the USZ campus is very limited and we therefore recommend that you use public transportation if possible.
All parking spaces at the USZ are subject to a charge.

The USZ is on the move digitally, please use digital dispatch if possible. The forwarding of personal mail to the USZ is not permitted.

If you wish to receive mail, please communicate the following postal address:

University Hospital Zurich
First and last name of the patient [Patient]*
Wing, floor and number of the room in which you are staying (Example: WEST F25)
Rämistrasse 100
8091 Zurich
Switzerland

*Please note after the first and last name in brackets: [Patient]

If you have any questions, please contact your nurse or hotel staff.

The USZ is a smoke-free hospital. Smoking is permitted in the designated smoking areas. Our kiosks do not sell smoking products.

Same Day Surgery means that patients are admitted to one of the USZ’s “Same Day Surgery” departments on the day of the operation and are only transferred to the department’s actual target department after the operation. This means they benefit from reduced waiting times and shorter hospital stays.
If you have been scheduled for “Same Day Surgery”, we will provide you with all the information about when you should enter which “Same Day Surgery” department at the USZ.