"Having stayed on four wards over a four..."

What I liked

Having stayed on four wards over a four week period, all I can say is that the staff on Ward 23 gave me a new found respect for nursing. While I appreciate that all nursing staff are busy, they took it to a whole new level without neglecting patients.

What could be improved

Toilets on all four wards I stayed at could have been cleaned more regularly. At the City General, one elderly man with mobility problems "dirtied" the seat around 9pm one night, and it hadn't been cleaned properly until I mentioned it to a nurse at 2pm the next day.

The toilets on Ward 23 are pretty bad. The door doesn't lock on one. The toilet is partially blocked in another, making it difficult to flush. The cracks on the floor and walls on the larger bathroom made me curious if it was last fitted out in 1940 when the place was built. Oh and the sink in that one didn't have a plug making it impossible to use for washing.

The lack of privacy in ward bays also bugged me a lot. Other patients clearly overheard my daily discussions with consultants and would occasionally remark on them (to congratulate my improvement or whatever). Some nurses and consultants are also incapable of being discreet, shouting details about your health for everybody to hear without any respect for patient confidentiality.