"I was an in-patient between June ..."

What I liked

I was an in-patient between June and September 2009, for a week on a Neurology ward, then on the gynaecology ward. As I'd gone into hospital with a mobility problem it was a shock of the first magnitude to learn that I had an endometrial sarcoma, and devastating to later learn that it had metastasised to one of my lungs. The staff, however, helped me come to terms with the diagnosis and its prognosis and the consultant gynaecologist/oncologist was always ready to explain things. When I finally had surgery on 17th August I felt quite calm about everything. I think the visits of the Chaplain were a help, too. Pain relief in the HDU I found inadequate, but I seemed to recover quickly from surgery ( though I did develop a thrombo-mbolism) and, although nobody wants to be in hospital, then, if you have to be there, then I thnk Salford Royal would be an excellent one in which to be.

What could be improved

More attention in the HDU to providing pain relief. I think more attention to the human patient, as well as to the monitor screens, would sort out this problem

Anything else?

I thought the food was good - both quality and choice.