"The brilliant work of the doctor ..."

What I liked

The brilliant work of the doctor who saved my father's life. Some nurses were excellent.

What could be improved

His after care nearly killed him off!

Anything else?

My father had to have an emergency operation and then spent some while in HDU - there were no beds available in ITU! Following his transfer to Kingswood Ward his after care was terrible. He contracted MRSA, even though he was in a side room from day one. He also developed awful leg ulcers which were initially ignored and as a result, nearly three years later, he still has them and is in constan pain.

My father's room was not cleaned regularly and when it was the member of staff used the same bucket of water for the entire ward! Dust and debris collected under his bed and remnants of bandages etc were left for days on the windowsill.

Some of the nurses were superb but sadly many were surly and uncaring. The lack of communication between staff was so frustrating. Information and doctors notes not passed on or acted upon. Hands not washed and hygiene rules for MRSA not observed.

It became routine for my sister and I to ensure our father was clean and tidy, we just reached the point where we had to check up on a daily basis that he was being treated with care and with dignity.

Since then my father has been in hospital several times and there has always been similar problems of mixed treatment. Some good - some terrible. Cleanliness and courtesy seem to be the main problem. It is almost impossible to understand how this hospital has achieved such high government ratings.

The response to all my written complaints have invariably been the same - it's a waste of time and energy.