"Excellent patient-focused care from..."

What I liked

I attended the Emergency Department in severe pain and discomfort. The department was very busy. Once I was settled, I was transferred to the Clinical Assessment Unit and then onto Mary Moore Ward.

Aside from a delay in receiving analgesia in the ED, I have nothing but praise for every single member of staff who dealt with me.

The wards were clean, bright , quiet and comfortable, the staff were friendly and attentive, and my referals to other departments for tests were swift and efficient.

The food was much better than I was expecting - it was hot, tasty and nicely presented - something which came as a bit of a surprise having read some of the comments in the local press over recent months.

I think it is very important to recognise that the ward staff are very much in demand, especially by patients who have complex medical and nursing needs, and it was a priviledge to see them working as a team to provide the best possible care, often under stress - even though you wouldn't know they were stressed by watching them!

In summary, my experience wasn't without fault, but I recognise that whilst I was in pain, someone else within the department was fighting for their life and required the attention of the staff at that time, and I just needed to wait for a bit.

The staff at all levels were friendly, courteous and respectful at all times and worked exceptionally well as a team in delivering excellent patient care.

My thanks to everyone I dealt with.

What could be improved

Slightly more prompt analgesia upon initial attendance at the Emergency Department, but the delay was due to the department staff dealing with other, extremely ill, patients. My previous experiences when suffering from the same condition were very fast, so the delay on this episode was the exception to my past experiences.

Anything else?

Heartfelt thanks to all the staff who are working under very stressful conditions - you are worth your weight in gold and are a credit to both your employer and the NHS in general. Thanks a million.