"I came to Dewsbury and District ..."

What I liked

I came to Dewsbury and District with my son. He was admitted almost immediately with appendicitis. The care he immediatley recieved was second to none. We arrived at the hospital at 5.45pm and within the hour he was on the ward and connected up to fluids and other medication to make him comfortable. He actually in theatre by 11.00pm and back on the ward by 1.45am. The medical staff explained everything to us from beginning to end. I have had several surgical procedures myself in the past but only after this experience with my son, now actually understand the reason behind some of the procedures necessary before, during and after surgery. Even though my son is not a young child, I was actively encouraged to stay with him to support his well being. I cannot explain the gratitude I have for all the staff who were involved in my sons care. They truly were a team of 'Caring Professionals'.

What could be improved

We went to collect my son from the ward the following day. He had been having antibiotics intravenously. The bottle was emty and he was waiting for the nurse to return and remove the needle from his hand. Several times he went to the nurses station and was told a nurse was on her way. I was nearly two hours before a nurse, who was only here to return a patient from theatre, actually removed the needle. With more staff on the ward, the fantastic care could have been a total experience from start to finish.