"Most doctors were very friendly ..."

What I liked

Most doctors were very friendly and it was obvious that they wanted each individual to improve, this may sound obvious but after much hospital care I have found many doctors can become detached. The food options were very good in comparison to other hospitals I have stayed. The anesthetist I had was very understanding and comforted me greatly. At most bedsides there are entertainment computers with internet access, TV, movies on demand and a call feature; this is a ridiculously expensive service however it is worth it if you are spending a large amount of time in the BRI.

What could be improved

Being only 17 I felt surrounded by much older people. The nurses did not seem to care about my dignity in the slightest and I felt exposed and felt treated like an invalid. The ward I was on for a week was shared with 20 other patients both male and female. The bathrooms were unclean and most certainly not private (a very large frosted glass window in the door). I made several small marks on the sinks and toilets that could be easily removed to test how well they were cleaned; most marks were left there for 3 days, a few were removed the same day, others remained after I had left the ward. The nurses were well aware of how scared I was (crying for a good 90% of my stay in the second ward) and the only thing I wanted was to speak to my mother; I called her using my mobile during visiting hours (mobiles do not effect typical medical machinery and I was given permission by my doctor to call her) two nurses came to my cubical and told me to get off the phone immediately, when I asked why they replied "for the privacy of other patients". They showed no compassion or understanding and made my stay the most uncomfortable week of my life.

Anything else?

I stayed in two wards in my time in the BRI, the first was comfortable but again most nurses did not care well for their patients, leaving an elderly woman naked with just a sheet draped over her lower parts with surrounding curtains wide open. The first was much less public and much cleaner with more privacy in the bathrooms however I was only here for a couple of nights. Nurses in the nightingale-style ward refused to warm food in the microwave even if its an unopened tin of soup. I am aware this is not to do with health and safety as the hospital next door never had an issue with anything like that.