"The best hospital I have attended,..."

What I liked

I understand that the CCU cannot provide same sex accomodation by the nature of the intensive care provided, this was explained and the curtains at the sides were always in place.

I live in Newcastle but was in Oxford for a daughters grad ceremony when I blacked out several times. We called 999 andas soon as they took care of me I was immediately impressed by their professionalism and skill. In the A&E department I experienced another heart stoppage and in the Cardio Care Unit had 5 more blackouts that evening but I was so reassured by the staff in the CCU that I never doubted I was in the right place for the best treatment. I was visited by several doctors that evening and it was quickly established that I needed a pacemaker asap but that I had nothing to worry about as I would be monitored closely over the weekend in CCU.I have had recent negative experiences of totally disorganised local hospital care in my area but it was immediately obvious that every member of staff in the Hospital from CCU,paramedics, porters and auxiliary staff to the consultants are single-mindedly committed to care of the highest quality. No matter what my needs were I had only to make a sound or raise a hand and any member of the team responded immediately. My bed was right behind the nurses’ station so that I was able to observe several shift changes and it was a joy to witness the camaraderie between shift members who knew each other well, tempered with disciplined attention to detail as they carried out their handover duties.In the end I was cared for in the John Radcliffe from Saturday till my discharge on Tuesday afternoon. I had my pacemaker installed on Monday and during the Op under the local anaesthetic the team chatted to me and reassured me throughout. I thank the John Radcliffe for being a beacon in the murk that is sometimes the NHS.

What could be improved

Nothing at all, even the food is excellent.

Anything else?

Sometimes the NHS gets a poor press but what I saw during my stay was well organised, highly trained staff who clearly enjoy working at the forefront of care, delivering the highest level of quality with pride in their professional standards. It's probably not appropriate to mention the staff who cared for me by name here but I have written separately.