"Mixed experiences of Queen Mary's Hospital"

I have been admitted to Queen Mary's hospital a few times. Two of my children were born there.

Recently I have had various medical problems, so last August and December I was admitted to Ruxley ward for surgery.

In August I was sent up to the ward after surgery only to be very sick, pass out and be rushed back to theatre for emergency surgery as I had an internal bleed. Very frightening for me and my family. How come the nursing staff hadn't noticed while doing my obs?

In December I was still in pain, a scan showed I had a twisted bowel and needed anther operation. Both times the nursing care on this ward was pretty good.

This January I had to go back for more surgery and was disgusted by that particular ward, I felt like the nursing staff did not have any time for the patients.

Pensioners were in my ward with broken hips, they would often press the buzzer for the nurse when they needed the loo, a nurse hardly ever seemed to come within 10 minutes and when they did they were often too late.

A few old women cried out all night, and were ignored, making sleep impossible. When I asked for something to help me sleep a nurse brought me a cup of cold hot chocolate and told me she had other things to do!

My catheter should have been removed a day earlier than it was. I could not get out of bed, and unlike other times in the ward was not offered tea or coffee and sometimes I had to wait over a hour for a drink of water.

I was in pain, stressed and made to feel like a nuisance, I couldn't get out of bed and had to sit in a ward full of old ladies pooing themselves. I went home with a bladder infection and had an upset stomach for 3 days. I recently had to pop back to the hospital for antibiotics as my wound is infected.

I sincerely hope neither me nor any members of my family ever have to suffer the indignity of that standard of nursing care again. I speak from experience when I say the standards have dropped a great deal within a year.

If the staff tell you they are busy, ask the patients about the night shift, laughing and shrieking at the nurses station all night, arguing about cigarette breaks and handsome doctors, but apparently not enough time to bring a patient something to help them sleep through the general chaos, nor time to help a pensioner use the loo.

The surgical staff were fantastic, but their standards of care were greatly let down by the nursing staff.