"Orthopaedics, Accident and Emergency and..."

My mother had a knee replacement at Hillingdon Hospital. I arrived on the day following her operation to find her being taken for an x-ray in a public lift crammed with children and other members of the public. There is no dignity in this for an elderly lady in a hospital gown despite the blanket. Is there not a risk of infection too? Why can't at least one of the lifts be dedicated to patients? She was then transferred to Mount Vernon for recuperation - Hurrah! Everything there is great. Unfortunately she had to be transferred back to Hillingdon Accident and Emergency with chest pains. It was in very poor condition and did not appear to be very clean. There was dried blood on my mother's bed - not her own! - and also on the walls. After what seemed like an eternity she was transferred to an observation ward where again there was blood on the floor but on this occasion there was also a used syringe on the floor as well as various scraps of paper and general debris. Having been given the all clear she was transferred back to Mount Vernon. In all she was at Hillingdon from about 6am until 9pm. Most of this time was spent waiting for either a bed or for transport. The actual time spent with doctors was minimal. There was one fantastic nurse on the observation ward who somewhat made up for the others who spent the time discussing their weekend and not answering the calls made by various patients on the ward. One doctor even told me not to leave my mother as I would be needed to stand up for her! The knee operation seems to have been a success but the anxiety caused by all the other aspects of her care has been extreme.