"Excellent apart from the food aspect."

What I liked

The overall experience of admission to Chorley and South Ribble District Hospital for a Laparascopic Nissan Fundiplication was made less of a daunting task from the moment I arrived on Rawcliffe Ward. I was taken to my allocated bed within minutes of arrival and the process of admission was undertaken by a member of the nursing staff who was very efficient but at the same time took the time to put me at ease. Fortunately I had only a short time to wait before I was required in Theatre and the Anaethetist and his team certainly did everything that they needed to as I can remember regaining my senses a few hours later back on the ward. The surgeon informed me that the operation had gone well and that my symptoms should have disappeared, which indeed they had. The care provided by the nursing staff on the ward can only be described as first class, nothing was to much trouble for them. They made the time to make you feel comfortable and as pain free as was possible under the circumstances. The dietician came to see me the day after the surgery and advised me on my diet through the recovery period and also left me literature to take home. The ward was spotlessly clean with even the undercarriage of my bed being cleaned daily. The porters who took me to X-Ray on 2 occaisions were very friendly and I was returned to the ward fron X-Ray department promptly. Following the surgery the team of doctors attended the ward daily to check on my recovery and made me feel very relaxed in the knowlwdge that I would be allowed home as soon as I was fit for discharge. I cannot emphasise enough the quality of care provide by the staff on the ward from the 1st year student nurses through to the ward sisters, they are all doing an absolutely excellent job.

What could be improved

Having undergone gastric surgery I was seen by the dietician and told that I should be on a fluid diet for 2 days and then move to a pureed diet for 2 weeks. The ward staff provided me with a "Special Diet" menu which allowed me to select Pureed meals. I opted for Pureed Corned Beef Hash as I thought that although it would be sloppy it would also be very tasty, on arrival at the ward it was obvious that my lunch had been nowhere near a blender to make it digestible. I finished up with a plate of mashed potatoes and gravy niether of which were very good and 95% of this was returned to the Kitchen. My evening meal considted of 3 ice cream scoop of tastless inedible fortified mashed potatoes without gravy which were also returned to the kitchen. If it had not been for the ice cream and custard served at meal times I doubt that I would have received any nourishment at all from the Hospital Kitchen. Why hand out "Special Menu" sheets to patients if the Kitchen staff choose to ignore them as they please.