"Pleased with my care overall"

I was admitted to the 1 south front ward for a few days following a diagnosis of jaundice and irregular liver function, marking my first hospitalisation since the age of 5. Naturally, this was a stressful experience, but the nursing staff made it easier- I have nothing but positive feedback for them.

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge that each nurse I interacted with was kind and understanding, however I would like to praise 3 specific members of staff from my ward as I saw them the most. Nursing staff Emma, Catherine and Ryan were all wonderful and lovely throughout my entire stay, with each of them proving how much they care about their jobs and their patients. Additionally, one nurse from A&E, whose name I did not catch, took my blood at a time I was very overwhelmed and subsequently cried. She calmed me down and gave me the space I needed until we tried taking blood again.

Additionally, nurse Ryan in particular made me feel at ease with his personality and approach towards care- he worked hard to make stressful things such as blood tests easier, often making light-hearted jokes or otherwise creating distractions to calm me down. I cannot praise this member of staff enough- he works hard to make his patients as comfortable as possible and clearly enjoys his job, no matter how difficult it gets.

The doctors I interacted with were mostly kind and understanding too, with a few exceptions; due to the nature of my hospital admission (liver-related) I was asked many questions about alcohol and illicit drugs, as expected. I answered everything honestly, confirming that I have not had alcohol in months, and that I have never taken any substances, however, I noticed a member of staff noted that I did have issues with these things despite me saying the opposite- this was brushed off as a mistake luckily, but it was not pleasant feeling as though the doctoring staff were doubting my answers.

Additionally, with one particular A&E doctor, whose name I do not remember, asked me these questions in quite an unprofessional manner, referring to injectable drugs through the use of a motion against their arm, saying that I knew what they meant. Of course I understood based on context, but this made me more uncomfortable as they worked with the assumption that I had taken these sorts of drugs before. I understand the importance of confirming these things, of course, but this was an inappropriate way of asking.

Towards the end of my stay, I was consulted by a gastro doctor whose name I also don't remember who was incredibly understanding and helpful with answering any questions I had. The doctor that discharged me, Dr Bhat, was also very kind and respectful especially with the topic of my weight. I am overweight and naturally I have had many doctors dismiss me on these grounds, as well as generally say not very nice things to me. But this doctor was incredibly respectful and did not patronise me in any way which I highly appreciate. These two doctors were very clear about my diagnosis and explained things when needed.

However, I must note that the diagnostic process and subsequent treatment could have been significantly shorter. I had many blood tests taken, but half were rejected as I did not have a HSC number (I am registered with a GP in England), yet some were still accepted. This resulted in me needing twice the amount of blood tests, causing me more stress and bruising. I understand why such a rule exists, of course, and the staff were just following them, but the inconsistencies simply do not make sense, which also caused the nursing staff more stress too.

Furthermore, I will also note the amount of time it took doctors to communicate with me. I understand short-staffing of course but the weekend affected the progression of things much more than it should have. I likely could have been discharged sooner, thus freeing the bed for another patient sooner at a time where beds are running short. Despite this, I am still very glad my condition was taken seriously, and that action was taken, regardless of its speed.

In summary, I am overall pleased with the care I received, there were minor issues along the way, as described, but overall it was a comfortable experience. I was pleasantly surprised at the way in which I was taken seriously at this hospital. Often, my health concerns get dismissed without further investigation as they are blamed on my weight, or otherwise ignored, so I am grateful for how seriously things were taken- it just would've worked out better if things moved quicker and weren't stunted by a slow weekend.

I would like to thank the members of staff that listened to my concerns and treated me with respect and compassion, as this is not something I have experienced much before medically. After many years of medical dismissal and bad experiences with medical staff, this experience has restored a little bit of faith in me.