"Our eldest son, who is nine years ..."

What I liked

Our eldest son, who is nine years old, had a major operation in April and had to stay in Northbrook ward over several nights. The nursing and medical staff made every effort to make him feel comfortable and put him at ease, taking away much of the anxiety he felt before his operation, and the pain and discomfort afterwards. Their relaxed and caring attitude did much to make his stay on the ward a very positive experience. As anxious parents, everything was explained to us clearly and any questions we had were answered openly and honestly. Our son was monitored regularly, even throughout the night.

What could be improved

The care our son received was wonderful and hard to think of improvements there. But as a suggestion, it would be very good if parents of young children who have to stay overnight could sleep on put-you-up beds next to their child. I was offered a bed in a parent's room, but I preferred to stay close to my son as it reassured him and reduced his reslessness. This meant some very uncomfortable nights spent in an armchair next to him!

Anything else?

We would like to thank all the doctors and nurses at Northbrook ward for the way they cared for our son and put a smile on his face during a very difficult period.