"Really nice staff, very poor communication"

I'm actually an in patient at the minute, being treated and awaiting surgery.

The nurses are generally very nice, but not particularly caring - they come round to do meds and blood tests but don't exactly seem to 'care'. They are pretty busy but the evening shift staff seem to spend most of their time at the nurses station chatting. Doctors are ok but really inconsistent in bedside manner and info given.

The auxiliaries are really lovely which is comforting when you are feeling low and in pain.

A really simple thing everyone could do is introduce themselves by name and look me in the eye occasionally while avoiding chatting as if I'm not here. If you're ill you tend to feel vulnerable and wobbly, and being manhandled for blood by three nurses discussing their net weeks shifts is hardly comforting.

I've been pretty concerned at a lack of information flow - there have been several big muck ups and lots of small ones with my care including a consultant trying to discharge me yesterday because they had misunderstood why I was in hospital in the first place Due to the way I was admitted. I assume my notes would have said my whole history but maybe the issue was the records?. And repeatedly being given a painkiller I have said many times that I can't take. Ditto records? And being offered (awful!) food when I'm nil by mouth. If I was a more compliant person or struggled to understand, some of this could have been a quite a big issue.

The hospital seems to have lots of new processes and shiny posters about its values and mission special signs by the beds to give clear info (which are not being used), but it doesn't seem like the staff have the time (or in some cases the commitment) to implement them.

I hugely admire NHS staff, they seem under such pressure. I also feel a bit worried about how well I'd be looked after if I was so unwell I couldn't query things that are obviously wrong.

On a less serious it significant for patient care note- the food is terrible. All beige, dried out and very fatty and low fibre. Please rethink your supplier contract.