"Major surgery at Royal Hallamshire"

I went into Royal Hallamshire Hospital early April for major surgery and spent 4 days in high dependency. I experienced nightmares due to anaesthetic and did not like the place. The staff were brilliant, my family thought my care was exceptional.

I was transferred to ward K2 which was so different. I appeared everyone wanted to pass the buck, so many different nurses. It appeared as if there was no logical working arrangement. To try and get attention by using nurse call facility could take 1 hour to respond. Certain nurses were very good but appeared to be under considerable work loads pressure. This may be due to shortage of staff, agency working and a lot of new recruits.

I got a chest infection even after my wife told the staff at dinner time but nothing was done. When she reminded them after tea we were told, “I’ll pass it on to the night staff.” I then had to go for an emergency x-ray due to this. I spent three weeks in a single ward where the air conditioning was awful. I did not drink or eat food for three weeks.

The support staff doctors, Macmillan nurse and the physio etc were excellent but the general ward staff need a thorough organisation; or may I say a matron.