"Wonderful "National Health Staff", But Under..."

I wish to first thank all the staff of sunderland Royal, for their dedication to the health and wellbeing to the people of area.I was recently ill and admitted to sunderland royal, I found to have pneumonia plus a large infection which the staff of ward 2, got under control with large amounts of antibiotics and great nursing skill, to which I wish to thank them all. The doctors, nurses, and cleaning staff are a credit to the national health system. I was in a ward of 26, [No1] two of the men had drug and alcohol abuse problems. I saw at first hand your staff, having to deal constantly with the demands of people under the influence of drugs or alcohol, people who were abusive of your medical staff. They seemed to use the national health system as a way of gaining respite, from their lives of drug and alcohol abuse, I two cases I witnessed people, asking to go out of the ward, under the pretence of smoking to take drugs in your own smoking huts on site, they were quite open about it ? As a older man [60 years ex military, building worker]

I thought I had seen most things in life, but my 4 days on ward 26, made me despair for some of the patients your staff have to treat every day of the year. Not just myself dealing with the after effects of infection, there was an ex fireman dealing with terminal cancer, another man dealing with life threatening pulmonary problems, there must be a filter system I feel, were alcohol and drug abusive patients are on a separate ward, my wife had and family had to leave my ward on sunday afternoon due to the new patient in the next bed [ a male age about 40 ] screaming and crying for his girlfriend, in a drunken state, he could not walk due to intoxication and bumped and knocked into beds on the ward, very distressing to watch and a danger to himself and others; but your wonderful staff, who again were taken away from their normal medical duties, spent hours trying to deal and console this intoxicated man. [ He later left in a taxi] I and others on the ward felt I would not be safe at night on the same ward as this gentleman, were asking staff if we could be discharged early, as we felt the noise and disruption was detrimental to are health. I no this will be a difficult problem, but I feel the long term safety of your staff, plus the comfort and wellbeing of patients is at risk, from this small disruptive group who have little thought for the health of others.

kind Regards

Ray Timlin