"Easy visiting hours (3pm to 8pm)"

What I liked

Easy visiting hours (3pm to 8pm)

What could be improved

A quicker response to the 'call button' would have been helpful at times. (Sometimes seemed a little short-staffed)

Anything else?

1. I was with my elderley mother who was recently admitted as an emergency to A&E then transferred to the ACU ward. Most of the staff were very kind and understanding but our experience of the ACU ward was not quite so good. The nurse who booked my mother into the ward was rather abrupt and not very caring at what was a stressful time for us both. Also the ACU ward was a bit 'shappy' although I realise it is only a 'passing-through' unit.

2. My mother was then transferred to ward 14 where she stayed for a week.The majority of the staff there were very kind and caring. However, my mother, due to her illness, was suffering from continence problems and sometimes the response to her 'call button' was not very speedy and on at least one occassion the bedclothes had to be changed because the commode was not brought quickly enough. When my mother was a little better she was transferred to the 'day room' at the end of the ward to make room for other patients who needed more attention in a proper hospital ward. Whilst in the day room she had considerable problems in getting a response to the 'call button' and spent one rather uncomfortable night. I have also since had occassion to visit another lady in the the 'day room' and she was having the same problems getting attention.

In general I believe the performance of the hospital and staff were very good, but I hope you don't mind me making you aware of these small points. Keep up the good work - you're getting there!