"Terrible experience, made to feel like an…"

From being left in my room with no information on how anything worked things went downhill. Nurses seemed too busy to be interested in me and I was certainly not treated as an individual. Had to walk to theatre with no robe so gown flapping open and cold. Post surgery made to drink water immediately back in my room and was not listened to when I explained I had no swallow reflex and due to anaesthetic and awanted to wait. I then choked on the water I was forced to drink and began spitting up blood. Then I had a bleeding from the nose which wouldn't stop. Instead of calling the consultant to advise I was left holding a large ice pack to my face for hours, hurting my back. This did not stop the bleeding. The on call dr was terrible, questioning my prescribed medications and simply telling me the bleeding was normal. Hours later my consultant was finally called and I was given a drug to clot the blood. This began to help and finally the bleeding calmed down over night. I was not informed if they could not stop the bleeding Ib would stay in and left me petrified I was going to be discharged with a constantly bleeding nose and spitting blood. I was told twice by staff that staying overnight would be a bad thing for me because I was next to the drugs room and it was the worst room for noise all night (although I didn't sleep and heard nothing). Every time my mother tried calling the hospital to find out what was happening no one answered the phones. I became so distressed after being told the nurse was too busy discharging other patients to give me my pain meds or prescribed meds for over an hour that I had a break down. My mother was on a video call at the time and witnessed this (no one answered hospital phones and I found it hard to be understood with a bandage and ice pack on my face). Every time the night nurse left my room she discarded her PPE. All good, except it was thrown in an open bag and left by the door spilling over (I have pictures). I did not sleep at all that night due to pain, distress and an awful feeling of vulnerability which has been detrimental to my recovery. I felt like an inconvenience to ward staff, especially at discharge time. My covers had blood on all night and were not changed all night. I had blood on my face, arms, hands and chest. There were no toiletries to wash with in the morning and I was not advised to bring any. Also no towels to dry with. Only a floor towel. Absolutely disgusted with this hospital. My consultant and the theatre staff were the only upside, other than having to have an operation postponed on the NHS. I have had much much better experiences with the NHS and your advertising video shown in reception is a complete sham. I will be contacting AXA to advise them of how you treat your patients.

Terrible.