"Lilleybrook Ward, Oncology Dept: fantastic..."

From Friday 11 to Tuesday 15 November, I had to be admitted to Lilleybrook Ward, about 10.00 pm. I am in the middle of chemotherapy treatment, and had suffered a dramatic drop in blood pressure and white blood cell count following a still uncured complex UTI. In the main, from the moment I arrived until I left the staff who looked after me - nurses, volunteers and doctors - were absolutely wonderful. They gave each of us women on the small (6-bed) side ward in Lilleybrook as much individual attention as we each needed; it felt highly personalised and concerned for our wellbeing and recovery. We were each also treated with the utmost dignity and respect. More important to me still, we were not patronised, either in language or manner, but treated as real people with real lives: the staff even found time to chat to us and express a genuine interest in us as individuals. In general, communications to us and between hospital colleagues were extremely good. There was one exception: on the Friday evening when I was admitted, as an urgent patient, I was left waiting in a chair on a side ward, in between two women sleeping in beds, with no attempt to provide me with a bed, or effort on the part of the nurse at the reception desk opposite me to explain what was going on or why I was waiting. I waited from soon after 10.00 till about 12.30, both very frightened at the urgent call to come in and very very tired. I didn't understand why I couldn't be given a bed to be put in, and as they offered no account of what might happen or when, in the end I had to ask them to explain. Apart from that one incident, theirs' and others' communications were excellent and very friendly and warm. The food was much better than expected; so, too, was the comfort of the wonderful adjustable beds! One other small criticism: I had been asked to come in to Lilleybrook urgently, late at night, yet no one had explained to me in advance that all outside doors to the hospital would be locked. I and my friend wandered around and around, in my case very frightened and concerned for myself and getting increasingly stressed, until we found an unlocked 'back door fire exit' and managed to wander our way to the right place! Finally, I am not impressed with your requests for feedback. You texted me for feedback, but the text reply number given to me does not work. Nor does your website easily lead the user to a Feedback page. I have had to really hunt around in my determination to leave such positive feedback, in the end finding a NHS Service Desk page.