"Why is Kings College Hospital So Poor?"

I recently spent 3 weeks in Kings for a severe foot infection. Although I have mostly recovered I was dismayed at the catalogue of problems I expereinced in the Hospital. These range from the appaling quality of food to the need for me to inform staff about what procedures and treatments I needed.

Key issues about communication between staff from different departments, the regular loss of paper notes and the lack of cleanliness I feel, have a great impact on the ability of patients to recover. All the staff I discussed these issues with tried their best, but were terribly over worked and how limited ability to take decisions about the care of people without reference to a higher authority.

The lack of any managerial input throughout my stay was worrying, as was the statement that 85% of patients thought the standard of care was appropriate. What about the other 15%? The often repeated statements about the performance of this facility and the NHS in general bear no relation to the reality that I experienced, where every patient i have discussed this issue with have negative opinions about the standards. It is not major issues that have most impact, more the ongoing range of more minor issues that make the stay in hospital far from comfortable and beneficial. Something must be done as I feel the system is at breaking point.