"Castle Ward & Orthopaedic surgery"

Anything else?

I was admitted into Castle Ward after a large abscess was diagnosed in my thumb. Many thanks to the Worthing Hospital Doctor serving at Steyning Health Centre for arranging for me to be seen by an orthopaedic Doctor who came specially down to A&E. I am confident that I would have lost part of my thumb had this all not been sorted out so rapidly!

I had an operation the next day. I was well informed of the procedures by a Consultant and by an Anaesthetist - they were both brilliant. In fact all the staff I came across were brilliant.

Castle Ward, where I stayed for five days, has a dedicated and professional staff of nurses and carers. They were good humoured, considerate and just nice people to be around. As I was on intravenous antibiotics every 6 hours (and I don't sleep much anyway) I got to see both day and night staff at work. Even in times of stress with patients arriving in quick succession late at night, I was impressed by the sympathetic and caring attitude. One patient, who was extremely ill, was treated with great dignity.

The support staff? The "Tea Ladies" (I'm sure they have a more impressive title) were great and the meals were, on the whole, pretty good. The cleaners were really thorough and happy to chat as they worked. Even the parking staff were really helpful - my car having been unexpectedly stuck in the car park for 5 days. The shop staff on the ground floor were helpful and the restaurant staff (I went there just before leaving) even offered to cut my food for me as I had a bandaged hand!

Complaints? None about the hospital at all! Please can the firm that runs the video/TV screen system have radio stations that are not just the Hospital one & Radio 2. Five Live would be nice. Also I'd recommend a taking decent pair of headphones of your own - the ones provided are the "In your ear" type and don't stay there if you move your head too much. The quality with your own 'phones is much better as well.

OVERALL.

A very positive experience stemming from a well run Hospital with superb staff. I cannot praise them or thank them enough.