"So So Stay at St Cadocs"

Having mental health history issues and repeated admissions to St Cadocs I stayed at both adfriad and augustus wards.

Care doesn't seem to come into it, I saw patients wandering around the ward with little to do except watch tv and smoke.

The nurses seemed obsessed with catching patients with lighters and will watch the cctv of the smoking room and catch people using lighters which involves one of them running from the office and confiscate it like its a firearm they've discovered,

If you make friends with a girl and hold hands you get told off like naughty school children.

If you ask the nurses what they watched on tv the previous night they say its private information and dont want to tell you.

The food is served up by the nurses and is usually some slop cooked up x3 times a day. This is the only thing to look forward to as the pool table is also available during these times and the food is a nice break from the mundane of nothingness to do.

The sleeping areas are split into two wards - male and female and approx 8 private rooms. When you first go there they may give you a private room but it wasn't long before I was shoved off onto the ward. Sleep is not always possible with loud snorers. I felt like family & Friends are not welcome on the ward.

I've also stayed at Hereford - Stonebow which is a much nicer hospital. The nurses ask how your feeling and have conversations with you. Food is excellent provided by caterers. Friends and family are allowed on the ward. Each room is private with a door that you can lock. You can make a cup of tea whenever you feel like, the pool table isn't locked away and you can have a lighter they don't mind. OT is excellent with cooking, mindfulness classes, gardening, woodwork and music

A cup of tea, pool table and lighter may seem like small things but given how many times I played pool all day and would easily go for a cigarette outside whenever I wanted to and having a cup of tea whenever I choose were big things when your freedom is taking away from you and your in hospital.

St Cadocs could do a lot better if they let friends and family on the ward, Have nurses that cared for the patients and not just look after them, let patients have lighters and allowed patients to play pool and make tea when they choose it would go a big way to improve it.