"John Radcliffe, vascular surgery excellence."

My Father-in-law recently spent nearly four weeks on ward 6A following a leg amputation. His recovery was complicated by various medical problems. My wife is a nurse and I worked for many years in hospitals on the technical side, so I think it is true to say that we know good nursing care when we see it. What we saw whilst visiting almost every day for four weeks on 6A was nothing short of outstanding. The nursing staff were competent, caring and knowledgeable but above all cheerful. They treated us more like friends than visitors. The atmosphere on the ward was up-beat and enthusiastic, with a sense that both nursing and medical staff had absolute belief that what they were doing was making a real difference in the lives of the many patents that go through the ward week by week. The medical team were equally impressive. They had made a diagnosis and were planning the required operation within a very short time of admission. Post-op there was round-the-clock management of some potentially serious complications. The Doctors always seemed to have time to explain what was going on with the treatment and fully involved us in decision-making, along with Father-in law. We also noticed a great atmosphere around the hospital, with lots of smiling faces and politeness from anyone who happened to hold a door open, serve in the restaurant or be manning the information desks. Altogether a great example of how the NHS should be operating!