"The health care assistants who ..."

What I liked

The health care assistants who worked day shifts were my husbands salvation - the ones on nights were a disgrace, swearing and muttering at patients, bells left ringing sometimes for hours before being answered. The cleaners were a shining example to all staff, patients and visitors and I hold them responsible for keeping up pateients spirits and ensuring that my husband did NOT contract an infection!

What could be improved

The right medication at the right time would be useful! In my husbands case he was underdosed with one type of meds and overdosed with another or would have been had I not been there and realised staff error. She was none too pleased when I VERY politely explained the mistake, and made the comment that she had too few staff, too many patients back from theatre and that the ward was & I QUOTE "unsafe" What a " comfort" not!!! I also fed my husband every night as he found the food intolerable, I ensured that all men on his bay had sufficient urine bottles for the night before I went home, as the bells were

frequently not answered & this is inexcusable for immobile and often eldely patients who cannot always get out of bed without help to use a loo. There was precious little staff empathy, kindness, good communication skills etc in evidence in the 10 days that I was a visitor. Staff hand hygiene could be a lot better, I witnessed a staff nurse change a dressing on my husband 48hrs post op. all went well until another member of staff asked for keys to something or other and they then put their clean hands into their pocket, handed the keys over and went to continue with the dressing change, until I stopped them. Contrary to all your literature, your staff do not like to be reminded abour safe hand hygiene

Anything else?

I feel you should have ward meeters and greeters to welcome visitors, ensure that they wash their hands and use the gel and to ensure that the blue visitors chairs are taken to the relevant bedside when the visitors are frail and elderly. They should also ensure that ALL of these chairs are cleaned before being restacked at the end of visiting times otherwise these chairs move all around the whole ward and never disifected. Overall, hell will have to freeze over before we go there again for any elective treatment. I am so glad I no longer work for the NHS, project 2000 has an awful lot to answer for!