"Experiencing the NHS at it's Best and Worst"

I was discharged from Warwick Hospital last Thursday after an 8 day stay due to a severe gall bladder infection.

My care and treatment from the time I was attended by the Ambulance crew to the time of discharge was outstanding

The nursing team on Beaumont Ward, and My Consultant and their team were amazing.

I was extremely poorly and as such needed almost round the clock care for 4 days, being in extreme pain and feverish was extremely frightening but the care and support I received whilst in their care was outstanding. This was the NHS at it's absolute best.

The worst that I refer to isn't down to the care I received nor really anything that I could have effected, but more about the system that allows elderly patients to have to take up beds unnecessarily despite there being nothing medically wrong with them.

The ward was almost a holding bay for elderly people who needed the next step in their life care, maybe sheltered housing, maybe more help at home.

The fact that this happens, and in my case there were 2 people on my ward who fitted this category, meant that the nursing staff had an added burden of having to attend to them despite them not being "ill" just maybe immobile and definitely in the wrong place.

Having a psychiatric patient on the ward gave them added stress and pressure, and for me it meant many nights with no sleep as a result of the other patients condition.

this person should have been on a psychiatric ward, but again the staff were truly amazing in looking after them, but it took them away from looking after truly sick patients

I experienced people in there who were clearly not unwell, who thought they were ill and demanded drugs on an hourly basis (because their notes said they could) and once given drugs they would pop off to the shop or for a walk, this type of patient shouldn't be taking up a bed in hospital.

The day I was discharged the news was that the NHS would be facing a winter crisis for beds.

This was sad as I could see in my ward alone 50% of the beds were unnecessarily taken up by patients who were trapped in the system, not needing hospital care but needing the comfort of sheltered housing, or the care from trained psychiatric nurses.

Saddest of all was seeing an elderly patient in the ward for a week with only 2 visits of 40 minutes, and being left to sit in her chair day in day out with no contact or stimulation form anyone, as the nurses were so busy they didn't have the luxury of time to sit with them.