"I spent some time in the hospital ..."

What I liked

I spent some time in the hospital being treated for a detached retina. All the doctors and nurses I dealt with were thorough and took my concerns seriously. As soon as the seriousness of the condition became apparent it was dealt with with commendable urgency - I saw eight or nine specialists in double-quick time. The outcome of the operation was excellent; my consultant was top-notch, friendly and courteous. All my follow-up appointments have been with the same registrar, which is a welcome continuity of care.

What could be improved

Communication between doctors and between shifts was sometimes non-existent. Diagnosed late on a Sunday night, I was asked to come back the next morning to see the consultant; but nobody on the Monday morning shift had been told anything about this, so I had to go through the whole triage/diagnosis process again - a massive waste of time and effort. Nobody explained risks, likely outcomes or the surgical procedure properly to me before I signed the consent form; I think they all assumed somebody else had done it.

Anything else?

I hope they improve the serious communication problems, because I found it a friendly little hospital and I am very, very pleased with the standard of care I received here. I am still an outpatient and in many ways I am full of admiration for their work.