"Where you can meet happy renal patients :)"

What I liked

Apart from one of the receptionists, who might have been having a bad day, all the staff were extremely friendly and made you feel really welcome. As a result, patients were almost pleased to be here, and there was a good atmosphere in the waiting room, with a lot of joking, and people looking out for one another.

I was particularly impressed with the radiologist (ultrasound scans): the reception in her area was not manned, so she came and welcomed the patients as they arrived, even though this was not her job. She had outstanding interpersonal skills and managed to put me really at ease: in fact she even managed to make me laugh, which is not a very good idea, as it creates 'waves' on the scan!

I was also very impressed with the staff's attitude towards wheelchair-bound patients (amputation as a result of diabetes): they did not talk down to them in any way, but treated them as respectfully as they did the other patients. I did not see any kids during my stay there, but I'm quite sure the staff would treat children decently too, without talking over their heads.

Besides the kidney scan, I also had a cytoscopy, which was a bit daunting. However, it went extremely well too: the urologist lay on the anesthetics with a trowel, so I didn't feel any pain (big sigh of relief).

The hospital looks like army barracks. As a result, it is very convenient for patients who need a wheelchair to get around. The corridors are very roomy, which means the staff can manoeuvre stretchers etc. without any trouble.

Another thing I liked about the hospital was how flexible they were. I was 1 hour in advance, and as they did not have too many patients to see, they agreed to do the tests immediately, which means I was out early.

Thank God, my kidneys are still working just fine. However, should I need dialysis in the future, I would want to do it myself at home, and I think this hospital would be a good place to learn how to do it, as the staff would make very good tutors.

What could be improved

In my case, much to my relief, the tests drew a blank. However, if there had been something, I hope someone would have taken the time to sit down with me and explain what they had found and what were the next steps.