"Frenchay Plastic Surgery and Physiotherapy healed..."

What I liked

I was treated in the Plastic Surgery day case unit for my hand injury and my care was excellent. All the staff- receptionists, nurses and surgeons were entirely as I expected and I will be forever grateful to them. Despite my painful injury, I had little pain after my surgery to repair the missing skin and I was able to get back to my normal work quickly once I was healed and able to care for my children,

I have since been treated in the Hand Centre for my physiotherapy. The staff are all very friendly. The reception is overcrowded as patients cannot book in and out because the computer system they use is very very slow. It wasnt this bad when I started my treatment- its got worse. Many patients get angry with the receptionists but they work hard and are very cheerful. The centre is very busy with limited space and the decor exceptionally shabby.

My treatment is going really well and I have to put a lot of work into my exercises and scar massage. I didnt realise until I had this injury how much I would value the specialist skills of hand physiotherapists. They know so much and I am very grateful for all the facilities and expertise this hospital has to enable me to get the full use of my hand back. I still have pain and they have told me I will need to keep working hard for many months.

What could be improved

There is lots that Frenchay could do to improve the site before it moves

No signs in the hospital car parks or near the building to help me find the Hand Centre. There are large maps but if I was elderly I would have struggled. There are lots of signs for the museum- how many people use this compared to the Hand Centre?

booking in and out of reception- it is much too slow- It used to be ok- how long will it be for us patients to see an improvement?

a coat of paint

litter, cigarette buts, bins, waste bags and general clutter on the whole hospital site- lots of car park staff walking about -could they not litter pick as they stroll around?

Anything else?

Please tell the plastic surgeons, nurses, receptionists, hand physiotherapists and physiotherapy technicains that they really are doing a great job under difficult circumstances and we patients are really appreciative.