"First impressions last! I did not have a..."

What I liked

Excellent end of life care delivered by medical/nursing staff despite the challenge of a busy rehab ward environment.

Anything else?

My first visiual impression of the Royal Oldham hospital was a gathering of patients and relatives smoking at the main entrance of the hospital. I was particularly distressed to see ill looking patients in wheelchairs/attached to drip stands smoking. It was impossible to avoid walking through this 'smoke tunnel' when visiting my relative in the Royal Oldham Hospital. In addition to the bad impression it creates I felt very annoyed that I was forced to put my own health at risk by having to encounter this every night for several weeks.

I am extremely disappointed and surprised that this issue has not been tackled with a 'zero tolerance' approach.ApproachableEnvironmentWardWheelchairsPalliative medicineNursing staff