"The staff on Fredrick Salmon ward made..."

What I liked

The staff on Fredrick Salmon ward made an emergency and life changing transition in my life exceptionally easy and supported. One nurse in particular was an incredible support to me. the bay i was in was cleaned very thoroughly and run by friendly efficient staff in all aspects-Nursing, medical, domestic and otherwise.

the fact that there are several amenities in the hospital also makde this a great stay. I was unable to wash my hair after surgery and the hairdresser was able to do so for a very small fee, offering to use my own products to make the treatment even cheaper. I also had my nails done, which after surgery, was a blessing which cheered me no end!

What could be improved

there were one or two nurses who were ill informed about the condition and surgery I had. (Ileostomy surgery fro crohns disease) I was advised to drink as much water as possible post op, which made me very ill, and decreased my electrolytes, increasing my stay by about 4 days and adding medications and IVs to my treatments.

Anything else?

Although I had a couple of negative comments, this hosppital is by far the best i have been in (Ihave been in and out of several hospitals in kent and London for the past 20 years regarding my Crohns disease)

The food is varied and well prepared, the water is changed 3 times a day and tastes filtered (simple but some hospitals change water less than once in 48 hrs!) the team are able to explain and inform decisions of the patient in a way they understand-I am a fairly intelligent person and i was approached as such, there were several people in the bay during my stay that had a lower level of understanding and one with learning disabilities, each was approached in a way that they understood thier treamtent without feeling talked down to, patronised or confused. Everyone i spoke to while i was a patient agreed this was an exceptional place to be treated. I look forward to returning for a further operation knowing i will be in a clean, safe and supportive environment.