"communication and cleanliness leave a lot to be..."

Was anxious about going into this hospital (1-night stay on surgical admissions) given its reputation. As I wasn't seriously ill was able to observe more than someone not in a position to notice - I do hope I never have to go here for an extended stay.... 1. Nursing and ward staff were unfailingly kind, helpful and patient. They could do with some dementia training - simple things like giving a confused patient a whiteboard the patient can see, telling the patient where they are, that her spouse is coming soon, etc, can do wonders.... 2. Only ONE of any of the medical staff I saw, in c. 30 hours, used hand cleaner between patients. Nobody appeared to use it on entering wards (staff and public). Nobody enforced this. A nurse who came to take my blood pressure after moving an elderly patient had gloves still on from that - they protected her, but not me. PLEASE train and enforce this as routine for all staff and visitors - you have reception staff there who can simply ask politely .... 3. Junior/trainee consultants - one in particular morphed from imperious 'consultant circa 1950s' manner (and bullying junior nursing staff ) to sycophant on return of the consultant boss. Neither confidence inspiring nor reassuring. Other trainees regarded my closed cubicle as a place to confer over another patient - I am a sentient being, as was my accompanying husband, last time I looked. 4. Food was genuinely not fit for pigs. And icecream doesn't travel well over long distances in non-refrigerated trolleys - liquid by the time it got to me. 5. Inter-dept communication terrible - airily told by consultant 'well you won't get a scan after 6pm of course, you can't expect that...', at 7pm porter arrived to take me to scan. Next morning imperious consultant was unaware it had been taken - I gave my 'diagnosis' rather than v.v. I am aware of the challenges NHS Trusts face in terms of finance/cuts, but a huge amount of this seems to be an inherent, and entrenched lack of 'joined-up thinking' rather than solely driven by financial imperatives. The on-the-ground nursing staff are obviously trying hard and doing well, and they deserve better, too.