"I feel extremely fortunate to have been transfered..."

What I liked

Service provided by A&E and MAU

What could be improved

Staffs attitude to their duties

Customer Care

Empathy and compassion shown to patients especially the elderly

Anything else?

I was admitted to A&E with heart failure I was seen be a doctor who admitted me and referred me to MAU whilst waiting to be taken to MAU a 2nd doctor interviewed me about my condition his English was very poor he was difficult to understand and did not appear to grasp what I was telling him this 2nd doctor advised reception to send me home as I was a minor, luckily the first doctor overheard this and overturned the decision. Other than this incident I can not fault A&E or the MAU where I was looked after very well. Unfortunately the same can not be said about my experience on the ward where the attitude of the staff especially the night staff was appalling.

I am confident enough to speak up and get things done many of the other patients on the ward were elderly, frail and very ill, witnessing the lack of care and compassion given to these patients was distressing. Staff in general do not respond quickly enough to the nurse call buttons and when they eventually do they are slow to action the request i.e. the elderly bedridden lady opposite me waited over 10 mins for a response to the call button and then a further 10 mins for a commode to be bought to her bed the attitude of the staff towards the patient who made this request was very cool and gave the impression she was a nussiance. On another occasion the paitent in the bed next to me who was also bedridden was vomiting when no one had answered the call button after apx 5 mins another patient who was mobile went out to seek assistance for her and was chastised for doing so.

Both nights I was on the ward the night staffs main concern was deciding on and ordering their takeaway and then consuming it in what can only be described as a noisy party atmosphere with them all stopping to eat together in the reception area.