"Unacceptable cleanliness at Doncaster Royal Infirmary"

There was nothing much good about the was I way treated, when I was admitted to Ward 21 for acute appendicitis. Having been an NHS and private patient three times in the last year most of the nurses think that you shouldn’t be in the NHS hospital and make snide remarks about seeing consultants in their private clinics around when nurses change over shifts. There was no discussion about what drugs etc you’re having – you have to ask what you’re being given or what’s the matter with you. You’re made to feel that you’re not allowed to ask any of the doctors (stand ins especially) any questions to do with yourself.

When nurses change over shift there have always been comments about not being in an NHS ward. Where else can your doctor send you in an emergency? I went to DRI on Tuesday and wasn’t operated on until Thursday teatime and was asked by junior doctors why I’d gone into hospital!!!

All of my visits to DRI were very trying and I couldn’t wait to get home again!!

Ward 21 needs cleaning up. Wash basin (beds 6, 7, 8 and 9 were washed once in a week). Food tables wiped off twice a week. At times I saw toilets, floors, had faeces, blood on them, also urine on floors. ‘Silverfish’ running around on floors next to cupboards where spare pillows and blankets are kept. And tops were never wiped off.

Beds changed every morning, but when a patient goes home even first thing in the morning – clean bed sheets stripped off again when not even been used. Bedside chairs never wiped off.

I saw some patients wait ages to be helped to toilet while staff talk about personal things at desk, then patients have ‘accidents’.

Disposable gloves should be worn when pills given out of pill trolley – nurses on duty with colds and flu, coughing and sneezing into their hands, then touching pills and pill containers which sometimes have remnants of sticky medicine left in them.

I saw noisy night staff at the night desk most nights. Patient’s note (RED) books on shelf outside units – notes usually say eating and mobile, even if you’ve not eaten for weeks before and can only crawl about the ward. Was told by a young nurse last time it was easier to write that so no complications on change over.

Food given to older patients is dumped on food table and most can’t get the LIDS of soup and ice cream etc. No wonder there’s so much wasted food goes back. Can’t they take lids off for them so they can eat?