"My experience in Wishaw General"

Having worked as a Staff Nurse for the NHS for the past 10 years, mainly in Lanarkshire and Glasgow, I pride myself in trying to deliver high standards of care to patients at all times and as a result it infuriates me to read so many bad stories in the press about poor nursing care, because I know for the few "bad stories" there are many, many positive which go unrecognised!

Due to my own ill-health over recent years, I have spent a lot of time in hospital, mainly Wishaw General and often for several weeks at a time. I only wish that I had known about this site back then, because I would have been sure to leave the well earned praise and thanks for the many staff in each individual ward that very kindly treated me.

Unfortunately, I was hospitalised again and was admitted to Ward 6 at Wishaw. On admission to the ward I was very politely greeted by nursing staff and settled in to the ward, but that seemed to be one of the very few times I actually seen them. I am obviously familiar with current nursing documentation, and it puzzles me to understand how someone can accurately complete an ICP, (for example ticking boxes to say I’m pain free and tolerating adequate amounts of diet and fluids etc) without even speaking to the patient?

Several other issues also arose – the blood stained curtains around my bedside, the bedside table which had not been cleaned between the previous patient leaving and me arriving (it was either dried vomit, or porridge – but I am still crossing my fingers it was the latter!). The bedside locker which had supposedly been cleaned for me to put my belongings in, actually had the previous patients’ insulin needles in it, as well as soiled underwear.

I am by no means trying to criticise the nursing staff on the ward because on the very few occasions I did speak to them, they were very courteous and acted promptly when my condition deteriorated rapidly. I honestly cannot praise NHS Lanarkshire enough, in particular Wishaw General for the care and treatment the many nurses and doctors have offered to me over the last few years, so it really saddens me to highlight these issues.