"Improvements could be made quite easily"

Most of the staff were friendly - my praise especially goes to a HCA on Hestercombe for their bright, cheerful, happy to help attitude, a porter who was happy, chatty and reasurring even at 10.45pm, and the cleaner on the ward who cleaned all surfaces thoroughly.  

Room had biscuit crumbs on the floor, tissue, pieces of plastic tubing.

Another cleaner mopped over dirt, did not mop bathroom, minimal wiping of surfaces.

Bed pans, bowls, wipes left on chairs in bathroom & bedroom.

Curtains - only one which did not fit.

One light over two beds meant that when my fellow patient wanted lights out at 8 pm I had no light to read by.

Refreshments person very off hand with fellow patient because they changed their mind about having tea. 

For my fellow patient, I think someone could have helped them choose easier to eat food, encouraged them to sit out to eat and cut up difficult food.

Food was often cold with items missing.  Not very appetising, the waste must be immense. Vegetables were overcooked and swimming in water.

 Day room - I wasn't informed there was a day room. The TV remote was missing (NB there is a small joystick on the back of the TV but most people would not notice this). 

The back of the TV was very dusty.

Sofa in day room is grubby.

Staff using the room as overspill staff room were quite noisy.

One of the nurses wore extremely strong perfume which was quite overwhelming.

Equipment in corridors under signs saying 'Do not leave equipment here or block access'.

A nurse approached me in the day room to remove my canula whilst I was finishing my lunch. I also had a visitor with me and feel this is  totally inappropriate.

Having said all this I am most grateful for the care I received.  I would, however, like better communication of what was happening instead of having to chase staff for updates.  I feel improvements could be made quite easily to make a better experience for the patients.