"Well done and hope you can improve"

:) Staff wonderful. Friendly, accessible, seemed interested in me as well as my symptoms. Took time to explain anything I wanted to know. Light years away from previous hospital experience. Well done for training.

:( Almost everything else awful. I'm going to list all the negatives in the hope you can improve:

Reception - Having heard my GP on phone to Vic Hosp KY arrange my admission I expected the hosp to be ready for me arriving 90 minutes later (I was cold having stood at the door labelled AU2 which I could not get in - had to wait for member of staff to enter. Sign on door said open until 1900 - no info on it about where to go (at 18.20) and entry phone not responded to). Inside I was simply told to sit in an armchair - no explanation as to what was happening. I was in pain and arm chair uncomfortable. After 1h20mins I called a NA over and said I needed to lie down. Soon after that I was directed to a bed but think it was almost 22.00 before a nurse interviewed me. 

Eventually saw Doc who immediately put me on intravenous rehydration, painkillers and antibiotics. Allowed to settle to sleep around 01.00. Only one sheet on bed - I requested a blanket and told none available -  other beds in had them. I never expected to be cold in hospital. Saw another night doc @ 04.30 - asked if I could be allowed to drink water. He said he would get some - it was 14.30 before a water jug was delivered to me - despite my being severely dehydrated and needed to drink. Hardly a way to treat sick patients?

Wed morning ward round - Was told I needed to be sent for tests and would need to wait until slots became available. Sounds reasonable... except my GP had already advised as to what needed investigated. Why could my name not be placed in queue on the Tuesday? Two scans done on wed (1200 & 1600 I think?) - told I needed to be kept in for an MRI - I could start eating but would need to fast 4 hrs before MRI - which I would be informed of in advance.

Thursday - waited all day doing nothing awaiting MRI slot to become available. No vacancy. What is cost to NHS of keeping someone in hospital awaiting tests? Wasted day.

Friday - now in ward 52. SN told me to have breakfast as MRI would give warning of when they would see me. Just finished bowl of porridge when they were phoned to say porter was on his way to collect me. Really?

Patient phones - 0300 new admission (on Thurs morn) to bay in AU2. As soon as he was settled he started on phone organising his business responsibilities for the following day! Recommendation: patients should have their mobile phones confiscated overnight. If one is ill enough to be in hospital one is ill enough to need to sleep.

Ward rounds - not improved. One still feels like an exhibit in a zoo. I realise time premium on NHS but surely common courtesy demands at least an introduction or explanation of who is discussing one's personal details. More junior staff are now so good at introducing themselves.

After this my experience better and a happier stay. Hospital staff really are excellent - it is the system that is creaking. It cannot be efficient keeping patients in hospital waiting for tests to become available. No industry or business could survive like that.

Final comment on food: better than I had anticipated and reasonable variety, but I question if there was any nutritional value in the breakfasts? The public are being encouraged to eat healthily - many would have mueseli, yoghurt and fresh fruit for breakfast - rather than cornflakes, toast and jam!

Hope some of this is of use to you?