"Awful"

Thank you for taking the time to write about your experience of our hospital. We welcome all feedback and would like to assure you that all comments are taken seriously and acted upon as part of our ongoing commitment to improving patient experience. We are extremely disappointed to hear any member of our staff would be anything other than courteous and respectful at all times to our patients. There is never an excuse for speaking in a belittling or sarcastic way. You’ve mentioned not being able to leave the ward: it is our policy that once admitted, children are not allowed to leave the ward so that they remain safe while in our care. They are free, however, to spend time in the play room or adolescent room within the ward. It is usual for the consultant to start the ward round at 9.30am and we can only apologise if, on this occasion, the consultant was not able to see you until much later. Each morning the ward matron and/or lead nurse carry out a ward round where they speak to individual patients to see how they are doing. We encourage our patients to use this as an opportunity to raise any concerns so that they may be dealt with at the time. We have passed your comments onto Julia Greenaway, acting lead nurse for the children’s ward, and she would very much welcome the opportunity to address the concerns you have raised. If you would like her to do this, we would need more information, including your name and the date of your hospital visit. Please either contact Julia directly on (01384) 456111 extension 2274 or get in touch with our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on free phone 0800 0730510.