"So pleased to have been treated here"

The built environment of this hospital is superb, everything is so modern and clean looking and facilities are state of the art.  Following surgery I was admitted to the David Evans Ward which is efficently run and functions well.   Privacy within the ward was good and everything was well decorated and maintained.  Staff were friendly.   Cleanliness was good within the ward as the cleaning staff came in in the morning. However the toilets needed improved monitoring.   They are heavily used by patients and as the day progressed more and more detritus built up including toilet paper, surgical gloves and sanitary towels.  The toilet seats and the area around the toilets would have benefitted from being cleaned several times a day (or wipes provided).  I had a bleeding incident at the bedside which was not adequately cleaned up and had blood marks over the bed frame and floor for the duration of my stay.  A nurse changed my bedsheets but neglected to replace the pillow cases so I had plastic uncovered pillows for several hours before I sorted the problem out. Staff on the whole worked well together. The doctors and the staff nurses were absolutely superb.  During my stay the two stand out staff nurses who deserve medals for their professionalism and patience.  However the quality of support nursing staff did vary and this imposed huge stresses and enormous workload  on the other staff.  There was also a difference in the care provided by day and by night with a feeling that after about six pm the hospital closed down for the night.  I also noticed stresses between staff during the handover period in the morning with concerns that work had not been completed adequately before clocking off.  I witnessed a couple of worrying incidents when a fellow patient was told incorrectly that she had particular medical problems.   I did feel that I was treated with dignity and respect although the degree did vary.  I think sometimes staff need to listen to what patients are telling them rather than just feel that they know best. I was involved in decisions about my care and was allowed to stop certain medications due to the side effects.  The accommodation was satisfactorily segregated with separate sections to the ward and separate facilities and should satisfy the most modest patient. The catering was excellent, there was a good choice of food and it was hot and tasty.  The catering staff were cheery and friendly. In summary I was delighted to be referred to this excellent hospital with its state of the art facilities and its capable medical and nursing staff.  I was very pleased at the standard of care on the David Evans Ward and although there were a few niggles my experience overall was a very positive one.  I will always ask to be referred to this hospital in the future and will outdoubtedly recommend it to others.