"Mixed"

What I liked

Good nurses in Intensive Care, hospital very clean.

What could be improved

There are big differences in culture between Welsh and English hospitals. The QEH is run like a machine and lacks the friendliness and flexibility of a Welsh hospital, it might score highly on so called Government PIs but came across as an impersonal machine governed by care plans which were not amended whatever the circumstances.

It is very difficult for relatives to cope with huge distances to travel (I am a patient from Wales) and then having to contend with the costs and problems of coping with a stressful journey. Often, my partner was prevented from seeing me and she had to wait a long time.

The food was generally awful and I lost nearly 3 stone over my period of an extended stay. My mobile phone was removed whilst I was in Intensive Care.

There was a lack of things to do during the day. Hospital WiFi would have made a difference to the feelings of isolation. (this is available in many hospitals now).

Anything else?

The risks associated with the procedure I had were consistently underplayed in the documentation I was given and the advice I received pre-surgery. I have since found out that the complications I have suffered are common but are not shared with patients before surgery.