"The smile! Throughout my time ..."

What I liked

The smile! Throughout my time in U ward everyone was smiling - not just at me be at each other, virtually all the time. They were aware that I was in for a painful operation and took every care that that pain should be minimised; the love, care and compassion demonstrated by the staff is something very rare in present times. I was lucky in that there was a small complication in my procedure which made it necessary for me to be kept in hospital rather than sent home the next day to look after myself - and so I was the recipient of all that is good about this ward. No detail was left to chance - they were watching, all the time. I had what was described to me as "significant" surgery and what could have been a very scary and stressful experience was turned into something which is difficult to describe - "enjoyable" would be wrong because I don't want to have to go through that again - but it was certainly pleasurable in lots of ways. The bottom line is that, if something of this nature reoccur in my life, U Ward in Southmead hospital is where I'd want to be.

What could be improved

A lot could be improved - but it would take a lot more money, staff and a multi- story car park to provide.

Administratively, the interface between hard copy and computer records is very creaky - makes it very difficult to obtain information from any one but those involved directly with a case.