"Wonderful staff but lack of certain facilities on the Admissions Ward"

I was admitted to the Admissions Ward in August 2008 with internal bleeding. It was a couple of days after the removal of my gall bladder in a private hospital. I had a very long uncomfortable wait in A & E & moved into the Admissions ward in the early hours. I was promptly seen & made comfortable. The blood match arrived & I heard the staff say there was nobody qualified to start the transfusion. At that moment I was scared, exhausted, but I heard where the blood was going to be stored. At 8am a member of staff qualified to start the transfusion came on duty & said he'd chase up my blood. I told him where it was stored, but when he checked it wasn't there. It was a couple of hours before the transfusion was started & the blood found.

The staff were very busy, so was the volume of patients, who seemed to be moved on to other wards at all times of day & night. There was no rest. The staff were wonderful, absolutely wonderful. I must admit to being a bit nervous as I had been a private patient & as we all know, they don't respond to emergencies, in fact the private hospital advised me to go to A & E. The only thing I could complain about was not many staff used the hand gel (except the Doctors) & the lack of toilets, showers & bathing facilities. The ward was thoroughly cleaned by friendly cleaning staff, but as there were only 3 toilets for about 28 patients (estimation), I found that disgusting. There was only 1 bath in use, with no shower head for hair washing.

There was a ridiculous shortage of wheelchairs, which I believe kept patients waiting far too long for tests (I missed a scan appointment through the lack of a wheelchair). There used to be many at the A & E entrance and I was told they were an untidy eyesore and got rid of by a Manager who thought they could manage with less.

Admission Ward best: the caring, friendly staff.

Admission Ward worst: lack of toilet/bathing facilities & hand gel use.