"A&E, ward 2 & ward 15"

As a normally healthy 38 yr old woman I was so very ill when I came into A&E. They saw me quick, listened to my history of symptoms and did tests and examinations that showed I needed immediate treatment and a stay hospital - even though it was not clear what was causing these results. The female doctor in A & E was brilliant. I was taken to ward 2 for 48 hrs and though I still deteriorated from infection and autoimmune responses I did feel cared for and communicated with by in particular a Female doctor and the night nurse who has to monitor me regularly. I did find one day nurse to be abrupt. A criticism of ward 2 was that I wasn't clean after all that time of immobility and was desperate for a wash once on ward 15 which I needed help with. Ward 15 is a hectic full ward. I don't know what kind of ward it is supposed to be. When I was there I came across people with auto-immune illnesses such as chromes, diabetics and asthmatics and a good few confused elderly suffering from forms of dementia having gone in after a fall or infection, not independent enough to go home. The nurses in light blue through to dark were absolutely amazing. They were so caring and helpful. Communication was brilliant. Knowledge was brilliant. I cannot fault them. In a very hard and challenging job were every patient is different they met our needs. Being near the nurses station in the "trolley bay" (the best spot) I could hear them talking and helping patients. They were so good with even the confused man that was politely aggressive about wanting to go home in the night they dealt with with patience and care. I would never want to go on ward 15 again because it would mean I was ill. But if you were to become ill you should feel you are in the right place to be cared and treated for. The only criticism of ward 15 was the cleanliness. The nice cleaners clean with just water - I asked. So really they were just dusting and wiping - not cleaning. I am shocked that AGH does not use any kind of antiseptic cleaning product in a place full of illness. The shower was never cleaned whilst I was there. Still the same grit in the shower and stains on the floor the whole time. Whilst there my experience of xray and untrasound was first class. The volunteers that came round with library books and trollies, run the shop etc make a real difference. The Drs I saw on ward 15 were fantastic. They answered my questions, gave good explanations and treated me as a normal intelligent human being. Thank you All. I have left hospital (in from 28th Dec - 8th Jan 2014) dramatically improved, it's hard to believe.