"Each individual in contact with ..."

What I liked

Each individual in contact with us from the very junior to the most senior were very pleasant - tried to help when asked and made the stay in hospital as bearable as it could be. I have no complaints about the treatment at all, but mentally it was an unbearable time.

What could be improved

My largest area of distress was conflicting information- in 4 days I had information from 3 different consultants - 7 different doctors of various levels most unknown other than as a registrar- and conflicting information from numerous ward staff. In short :-Initially - a scan was performed whilst on the assessment ward and we were then told a scan using dye would be done within the hour - followed by a lumber puncture- a canula was fitted, we waited four hours - nothing happened - we asked what now and were moved - walking through the basement to a ward. The registrar said he would go to the scan unit - came back we were not on todays list - it would be tomorrow morning. It was done the next afternoon, waiting for results, we were told that the lumber puincture would not be done till the results of the scan were known. I asked all day if we would get the results eventually was told at 7.30pm it would be tomorrow. went back the next day - by one o clock pm I asked again - was told the lumber puncture would be done without the results - as they would take 4 days as they were complicated to read, the lumber puncture sample had to be on the bus by 2pm. It was done and at 2.15pm we were told it had been sent by taxi to bradford as it missed the bus! We then waited until 7pm to be told we could go home and we would get a letter. We were told over 4 days that test results were coming - the same results would take 4 days, lumber puncture results would take 5 days- after 4 hrs they had a lumber puncture result, all 3 tests would be done on the first day - it took 3 days and we were using a vital bed. I know this is a big hospital but information through a single channel would be reassuring and timing of tests would I am sure be an area to save money - we could have been in and out in one day and to need a taxi on the 3rd day to send a test sample which we were told would be done on day one seems a terrible waste. The people were great - the system seems laborious and money wasting.