"The professionalism - I felt that ..."

What I liked

The professionalism - I felt that the people treating me knew what they were doing, or knew how to check with someone who did.

The care - there were several times when people took more trouble with me than they strictly needed to - coming up to the ward from A & E to see how I was getting on, for example.

The humour - this was a nice surprise, to come across individuals retaining their own, sometimes quirky, characteristics while still operating effectively in a large institution. This made my hospital experience much pleasanter than it would have been otherwise.

What could be improved

The ward round - that moment when a bunch of doctors suddenly appears round your bed; I was involved in the final decision-making, but I sensed that some discussion had gone on beforehand, and I was presented with a solution. I would have liked to have heard the discussion; and I also thought at least one nurse should have been there too.

I like hearing doctors discussing options, and it also gives me time to formulate my own opinions. I saw another patient stunned into silence by the suddenness of his visit; by the time he'd worked out his questions the Doctors had gone - leaving him frustrated.

Anything else?

No - in spite of the comment above, I was very impressed - and very grateful - for the treatment I had at the Whittington.