"From Both Sides"

A the partner of a newly qualified nurse, I can attest that the staff (and students) work extremely hard, and genuinely care about the patients. However, bureaucracy and middle management being what it is, there are always going to be delays and problems. I tell my partner when she comes home upset after being shouted at, to remember that patients are scared, frustrated and vulnerable. When you are in that situation, please try and remember that everyone working at the L&D wants the best for you, but there are often no easy answers in medicine, and doctors and nurses are only human.

On the other side, as a patient myself, I am always disgusted with both the lack of parking spaces and more importantly the high and unconscionable cost of parking. It causes genuine concerns for a huge number of patients and visitors (and staff, incidentally). In addition, I wish to make a formal complaint about the smoking. Patients and visitors (and the odd staff member) pretty much 24/7 stand by the entrance to a HOSPITAL and blow smoke over everyone trying to enter what should be a place of health. It's despicable, and something needs to be done. The use of no smoking signs is clearly inadequate.