"Caring staff in Macmillan centre and in..."

What I liked

Caring staff in Macmillan centre and in Critical Care Unit.

What could be improved

Appalling food - much worse then my previous stay, 10 years ago.

Terrington Short Stay ward - noisy and no attempt to dull lights or quieten talk at night. Nurses station seems to be on a main thoroughfare and people going through constantly gives rise to much noise. No sense of leadership from anyone on this ward. Only one washbasin and that was in toilet for 6 bay ward and no mirror or shelving or shaver socket available.

What is the sense in having red indicator lights inside the room/toilet where it is not seen by anyone who is trying to find the caller? A sad example of staff not responding to a call from a bedside concerned one elderly and confused man who wanted to go to the toilet during the day. He eventually got out of bed and stumbled past a nurse who ignored him only to be helped by a visitor. Unfortunately, the gentleman was no longer able to contain his urge and the result was a soiled bed and an extremely embarrassed and upset patient.

I had an ultrascan and queried why a part of my abdomen was not included. I was made to feel I had no right to question the operator - next day, the scan was repeated correctly thus wasting a day in hospital.

Following my second scan, a biopsy followed and that went ahead without problems or mistakes. After that, I was pleased to see plans promptly made for me to go home and be visited by the Intravenous Therapy at Home team. I went home with a large box of drugs but there was no Prescription and Drug Record card without which the IT at Home team could not function and the form had to be collected by the Team member before she could start – yet again, sloppy control and extra cost involved.

Decision to discharge me taken at 10.30am. Pharmacy eventually produced drugs at 6.00pm.

Overall, I spent about three weeks in hospital and that will not go down as a pleasant experience.

Anything else?

The constant change of nursing staff at various times throughout the day means that neither staff nor patients get to know each other with obvious disadvantage that this can bring about.