"Variable care at Bolton Royal infirmary"

After 18 months and over half a dozen emergency admissions I was finally diagnosed with cancer. Whilst on Ward E3 I was treated very well, apart from one occasion. I had recieved a phone call on my mobile from a member of my family. Whilst having the phone conversation I was interrupted by a nurse who wanted to contradict what I was saying on the phone. To do this I felt was highly ignorant and especially when he they had no idea what the conversation was about! .

I was then transferred to ward E3 where whilst the nurses were lovely but I also think they were severely understaffed. Information was very poor during my nine day stay, in fact it was none existent, despite myself and my family asking on a daily basis. I was told that the following monday I was to have an MRI to see how far the cancer had spread. On Monday at mid day I asked what time I was having the MRI, only to be told what MRI? ? ? ? .

I was then told that it had been decided that I would be having the MRI as an outpatient (no rush after 18mths of missing it then), and that afternoon I was to see an Endocrinologist.

At 5. 30pm I asked what time I would be seeing this Endocrinologist, only to be told that at that time they would have gone home. I was so angry I wanted to sign myself out and come back the next day for an appointment only to be told if I did I would have to wait months to see the Endocrinologist.

Whilst in hospital I watched someone get discharged and told he must wait for his medication to come up from the pharmacy before his relatives could take him home. That man waited 36 hours before he got the medication and his sons who arrived to pick him up had to go home twice. This was also witnessed by several of my relatives.

One morning when the medical registrar and co-workers were doing the ward rounds one of the doctors took an expensive pen from the side of my bed that my wife had left me. I mentioned this to one of the nurses who got it back from the doctor, and the doctor gave me such a nasty look and asked me if I had told the nurse.

I have to go back to Bolton royal for at least three more appointments before they consider treatment/surgery and to be honest I am not looking forward to it. The stress and the awful knowledge that I have cancer is bad enough, but the feeling I have to go back there is almost worse. I saw many many things that shocked me during my nine day stay, enough to know that my issues weren't individual to me.