"Hideous, poorly run and grubby - like..."

What I liked

The nursing staff I encountered were charming and tried hard to be as helpful as possible, however the strain they are placed under by the archaic booking systems made it impossible for them to work effectively.

What could be improved

I attended St Helier for an endoscopy in October 2010 and returned in November 2010 for a follow up and discussion of the results. However, after waiting for four hours in out patients for my appointment I was told that the doctor could not see me after all (as it was by now after 5.00pm). Another appointment was made for me in January 2011 - I arrived, as usual, 30 minutes beforehand, and yet still had to wait for almost two hours to see someone.

Apparently, appointments are overbooked at outpatients' clinics by up to 50%. This leaves the doctors under incredible strain to get through the number of people they are expected to see and ensures that no one gets a reasonable level of care.

Yesterday, as I waited once more for my follow up appointment, a woman next to me was in incredible pain (she was being treated for bowel cancer), yet she was made to sit and wait for two hours.

Doctors and nurses just accept this as "the way it is". Surely, the thing to do is to make the shortcomings of the system known to those who can actually change it??

Anything else?

Over the past few years, I have had many dealings with St Helier (for my own health issues, as well as in dealing with both my parents' final illnesses) and I can safely say that, if I have to go into hospital at that stage of my life, I have asked my husband to take me to the vet to have me put down, rather than risk being left even iller (as happened with both my mother and my father) after a stay in the hellhole that is St Helier.

Avoid it like the plague. It's like being in a third world country.2010AppointmentsFollow upOpening hoursDoctorsNursing staffBowel cancerPatient careOutpatients