"Overnight A&E treatment plus Admission to ward."

I was an inpatient in Medway Maritime Hospital for one week.

I'd like it to go on record that I had the most wonderfully compassionate and professional treatment I could have wished for. And this from all levels of staff.

I had started my admission with about 12 hrs in A&E, where I encountered the only unkind and uncaring nurse of my week. Thankfully, my time under their care was brief.

While in A&E I went to the X-ray dept, then after being diagnosed, went to Phoenix Ward, via the CAT scan dept.

I found everyone from Porters, X-ray staff, CAT scan staff, housekeeping staff, Care Workers, Nurses and Doctors were all incredible. Pharmacists and Phlebotomists were the same. The nursing staff were in sore need of extra help, and were on the go day and night, but they never lost their kind and compassionate attitude to their patients. Even more than that, they managed to maintain a bright, cheerful and reassuring atmosphere on the ward. Day and night staff were the same. Every day during that week I could hear laughter around the ward. Staff joking with each other and with their patients.

Phoenix Ward was run on love and laughter mixed with the knowledge and experience needed to deal with such a wide variety of ages and illnesses as they had.

Cleanliness was paramount, floors were mopped several times a day, and toilet, basins and ledges washed with antiseptic wipes.

The food was good, it was hot, fresh, and nicely served. And the menus allowed for a 3 course meal, midday and evening. The soups were particularly good, and if the puddings were not of the same standard there was always fruit, ice cream or yogurt to fall back on.

I'm sure not every Ward could be as perfect as Phoenix, but I can only speak from my own experience.

This week was not an isolated incident. Over the past year and a half, various health problems have necessitated many visits to Medway as an out patient of clinics, and diagnostic depts. The same consideration and compassion was encountered in all of these.

In fact the only truly bad element is the car park situation, and the cost of it.

PS. I would like to mention one thing which worries me? In the whole week I was there, and with all the forms which were filled in, I was never asked what my religion was. I had to ask the staff nurse to enter in my notes that I was a Catholic, that I would very much like to see the Priest any time he was in the hospital, would like to receive Communion at the weekend, and most importantly would wish a Priest to be informed should I collapse and be in danger of death. Is this some new Government policy? Or hospital policy? I find it very worrying that should I be admitted unconscious I would be left without the comfort of my religion in a time of need.