Chicken soup and so much more.

Pick up their basic items from home.

If your loved one has had to go into hospital in a hurry, there's a chance that they haven't packed well. They might have brought pyjamas, but will not have brought slippers (for walking to the bathroom for example), as well as things like deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrush and tampons (if needed).

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Bring a spare phone charger.

They might have forgotten to pack one. And you can never have too many, especially with visiting relatives and friends.

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Volunteer to spread the news.

It's tiring to have to call up every relative and explain how you're getting on, how the operation went and so on. Let your loved one know that you're happy to pass on messages and status updates to mutual friends/relatives.

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Don't depend on Netflix.

If you have access to one, then bringing an iPad pre-loaded with shows is a brilliant idea. Depending on the hospital, and the ward, the patient might be sharing a television in a large room, have to pay to use a television or not have access to one at all.

You could also lend them a laptop and a box set - when you can't control your health, it's nice to control which episode of 30 Rock you want to watch.

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