"Some of the Nurses were extremely ..."

What I liked

Some of the Nurses were extremely hardworking and sympathetic, and the Matron availed herself to listen to concerns that I had.

What could be improved

My 'named Nurses' never did introduce themselves and I felt very isolated whilst on the ward.

Not once was I consulted with regard to the care that I needed, and I felt I was left to 'fend for myself' a lot of the time.

Other patients in the ward, especially those who had been there "long-term", dominated the atmosphere of the ward - eg.forbidding the TV to go on (even at a reasonable hour) or opening of windows on hot, stufffy days.

There was not enough attention given to those wanting more "mental stimulation" - though I did, eventually, find a Nurse who found me some headphones so that I could access the radio.

I felt bullied by one of the staff nurses, who exhibited a very unsympathetic approach to my injury and condition, and painkillers were witheld for several hours, contrary to Consultants advice.

The attitude of some staff members could have been greatly improved, to show sympathy and genuine concern.

I should have been consulted as to the level of care that I needed when I was admitted instead of being left to "fend for myself".

It was frightening how the Nursing staff had little or no, idea of how critical my injury was, and the recommendations made by the Consultant in charge of my care.

Anything else?

The Discharge process was traumatic.

I was ill-informed as to exactly when I was being allowed home and was fearful of the attitude displayed toward me.

The Hospital must accept that some of us have ideas of our own, and a good knowledge of our condition, andnot label us as "non-compliant" just for expressing our own views and being truthful about equipment needed (or not) with regard to living independently at home after discharge.

I felt people were not willing to work with me, but, rather, "ganged up against me" just because I had a real grasp of my condition, as outlined by the Consultant, which others did not know about.