"I felt reassurred that my relative was being cared..."

What I liked

Any problems that occurred during the stays were dealt with efficiently and swiftly, however this email is not to concentrate on hiccoughs that were sorted.

The quality of care and support was comforting to experience. When a loved one is in hospital, families cannot help to observe the general day to day actions of the people around them and by far the majority of staff were outstanding in the knowledge and approach both to the patients and their families. The main area I would like to comment on was communication. Without compassionate, patient and effective communication everything else can fail or seem to fail. The level of communication and approach of staff made a stressful time less so.

Nurses, Doctors, Ancillary staff, Physios, OT's, Pharmacists, Dieticians were all involved in my relatives care and they delivered all of the values that are posted around the hospital. I am going to point out the young doctors in particular, not because they excelled others but because I feel that doctors, especially inexperienced ones, often find communication the hardest to achieve. Their approach without exception was spot on. Kindness, calm, allowing time, empathy and understanding, listening, not rushing when dealing with a very frightened patient and anxious relatives made such a difference, and was impressive. This observation carried across other patients, it was not a one off.

I feel confident that this is wide spread as my father in law had three visits to A&E and the Assessment unit, and inpatient stays on Lyndon 4, Lyndon 1, and Priory 2.

What could be improved

The only issue, was that because my relative bought in a mediaid into hospital, the staff could not administer his tablets (which was fully explained to me) I was required to visit three time a day for three days to admnister them untill the medication could be dispenced from pharmacy.

Anything else?

The delay was due to my relative being moved three times in three days, so the pharmacist was not able to identify that he needed drugs dispencing. The problem was rectified in 2 hours when I spoke with the pharmacist.