"my son is a open access patient ..."

What I liked my son is a open access patient at the childrens ward since the above date. the staff there are really good, when we can't be there they always treat him with respect and dignity. Even on the busiest days, which is often, they always pop into his cubicle and have a chat or just to see how he is doing, even though they are not looking after him that day. They always make time for their patients and the doctors too. The atmosphere up there is not a sad morbid one, its a lighthearted joyful one but it doesn't mean that the medical needs are second best, this is not the case at all and we know we can call any time and receive the reassurance or the advice that we need, they can't do enough for you whether you are a new patient's family or a long term case. THEY ARE A LIFELINE for famillies like ours, a VALUABLE PART OR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, What could be improved? No parking charges for long term patients Anything else? With the recent press and tv coverage about the hospital and closure of departments, it would be catastrophic if this department went or if any go for that matter. All that money was spent on building the new hospital its just such a shame. in the past we've gone further afield and my son just made it there in a car, bus would be out of the question as it would take too long and a long bus journey for a sick child is not a nice thing for them to go through. Patient transport do a great job but they cannot give you an exact time of pick up and in an emergency admission, you cannot expect people to sit and wait for them to arrive when you are sick, but not sick enough for an ambulance, using one of them would be wrong, but i bet this would happen, taking them away from life threatening stuations elsewhere. We cannot see the sense in these changes