"Bilateral hip relpacements on care Denton Ward"

I am a retired GP and I worked in the NHS for 40 years, 35 of them as a GP in Suffolk. I had bilateral hip replacements in May under the care of the consultant and I was on Denton Ward for a week. The care I received from the medical and nursing teams was outstanding. I have written to thank them and tell them how grateful I am. Given the adverse publicity that the NHS receives I wanted to put on record that I think the NNUH is an excellent hospital and I am very grateful for the care that I have received. The standard of cleanliness was exceptional and I also thought the food was of a high standard. There is one observation that I should like to make which is not a criticism but, I hope, a constructive point. I was in hospital over the May Bank Holiday weekend. There were times, especially at night, when there was a shortage of nursing staff. They were clearly run off their feet. This became especially evident when a patient opposite me developed acute paranoid psychosis. The nurses coped admirably but they were very stretched. The other difficult time is late on the night shift when patients are waking up and needing attention. I want you to know that you have one very grateful patient.