"I had polyps removed in May 2004. ..."

What I liked

I had polyps removed in May 2004. I have thought a very long time about whether to contact the hospital with my views, but felt no-one would be at all interested.

Since I moved to St Margarets, near Richmond, I spent one night in the W. Middlesex Hospital under observation. The difference between my experience of the W Middlesex and Charing Cross was remarkable.

In all I spent 3 days in Charing Cross Hospital, including the day of my operation. No once did one nurse speak to me, from the time I got into my allotted bed to the time I was discharged. The only person to speak to me was the consultant on his rounds.

I noticed the nurses chatting away to one another at the nurses station. I didn't say anthing at the time because my stay at the hospital was so short.

What is more, I lived and worked in Germany for 30 years, and was in hospital a couple of times. One was treated like a human being. At Charing Cross one waasn't even noticed. If I had discharged myself, no-one would have noticed. I now know it is different in other hospitals.

I do not expect this email to be read by anyone in authority, so I am sending a copy to the Chief Executive of the Trust.

Yours sincerely,

Moya St. Leger

What could be improved

That a nurse noticed I was there and spoke to me.

Anything else?

That the cleaner, a male, actually cleaned. It was in Charing Cross that I decided if I ever had to go to hospital again, I would engage a private cleaner to clean my bed, the bedside table, and the floor beneath and around my bed. I'd done that when I was in Charing Cross, no-one would have noticed so all would have been well.