"One of the worst experiences......................"

I was recently admitted due to DKA, a complication with my Type 1 Diabetes. I can not include all departments in this as both the resuscitation and Diabetic departments were impeccable in their expertise and care during my 4 day stay.

Upon transferring to the ward (MAU), it was immediately evident that the ward was also catering for Mental Health patients, constantly out of control and taking up the time of the staff where it could have been better served addressing the needs of other patients. One case on my ward was a detoxing alcoholic who continuously disrupted everyone throughout the day and night and obviously needed special care evidently outside of the ability of the medical staff on duty. At one point, the patient decided that he was going to steel my mobile phone while i was resting and ended up falling onto my head at a point when I was wired up to 3 intravenous drips, I was eventually moved to another ward (Pretty) only to discover further mental health patients mixed with the ward.

I spent 3 days in Pretty ward with 3 other elderly gentlemen with various problems. The ward had no TV or radio worth listening to as it was more for the staffs benefit. One gentlemen just wanted 5mins to talk with someone but to no avail and was continuously fobbed off and more often blatantly ignored. I ended up sitting with him for 1/2hr and just chatted generally, I put a smile on his face, that's all he wanted. Does there not exist a voluntary service that people can contact to go and support these type of situations........Salvation Army?.......Something is really needed.

Showering facilities were appalling, broken shower equipment - really not usable.

Handovers were not communicated correctly with missing information in my notes further complicating my treatment which in itself is life threatening.

I can go on and on...................................

I do appreciate that the staff are stretched etc....and funding is limited but there is no excuse for rudeness, ignoring patients, broken shower equipment when cleanliness of the patient must be a priority.

Travelling worldwide on an annual basis I have always praised the NHS care in the UK to everyone I meet, unfortunately this is no longer the case. It's a shambles, an embarrassment and not something I'm proud of as a UK citizen.

As for Kettering General, I suggest it's bulldozed and start again, bring it up-to-date, add a mental health ward and make the local community proud of their hospital and furthermore the NHS again.