"V good hospital could be excellent - attend to..."

What I liked

Consultant team taking time to explain & discuss treatment plans & options.

Care, kindness & good humour of the doctors & nurses 95% of the time ( but see below)

The Hospital radio request show was great fun. I especially appreciated the good humoured visits from the DJs & the friendly banter on the show was real lift. They even delivered an LP signed by all the band to one of the long stay patients who rang up every night to request Worzel songs- brilliant!!!

Good accessible washing facilities- clean most of the time

Good flexible access for visitors

Good flexible arrangements for follow up outpatient clinics with the consultant & his team

What could be improved

Lack of sleep because of interuptions throughout the night for various procedures, noise from machinery, staff & other patients, & some nursing staff refusing to turn ward lights off ( health & safety quoted!!!)- in the 2 months I was on the ward it was difficult to snatch a continuous period of sleep of 3 hours or more.

Systematic and repeated lack of respect for afternoon protected quiet time 2pm till 3pm for sleep by doctors, nurses, patients, physios, patients, maintenance staff. One afternoon a builder came in to drill & hammer holes in the wall during quiet time ( after we complained Sister did stop this eventually- but should it have happened in the first place???)

Lateness of lunch time meal - it repeatedly arrived at 2.15 to 2.30 pm ( when we were supposed to be asleep on quiet time). Following many complaints to nursing staff - I eventually made a formal complaint to PALs & the catering manager & matron resolved this- but again should it have happened in the first place??

Lack of vitamin C in the food- vegetables over cooked. Fruit only source of vitamin C but on many occassions no fruit available. Long term patients had to resort to tactics of storing up fruit when available. I named and shamed the catering department live on hospital radio numerous times requesting "Yes we have no bananas "

In spite of signs up everywhere at the entrance there were always large numbers of patients, staff & visitors smoking in the entrance and the hospital grounds. Far more could be done by the hospital authorities to enforce the no smoking rule.It gives the impression that smoking is accepted by the hospital & it makes it v difficult for patients who would like a breath of fresh air to get this without having to breathe in other people's smoke!!! Couldn't you instruct the security staff to be more robust???

Anything else?

A v small minority of the nurses rushed around far too quickly doing routine tasks & were always too busy to listen or talk sympathetically with the patients. Most however worked v hard & were also v kind, good humoured & friendly.I think more could be done to make sure that good nursing which I experienced 95% of the time occurs 100% of the time.

Waking patients up at 5.45 am to be weighed was not appreciated

Extremely noisy metal trolleys rattling around the wards emitting noise louder than a jet engine!! I would estimate louder than 90 dB(A)- investing in quieter versions or oiling the wheel would cut noise considerably.