"Consulted at every stage"

I had an accident at home which cut my ulnar artery and hand tendons and nerves. Having been taken to the hospital by ambulance, I was seen immediately by a large team of consultants and trauma nurses and they could not have been more attentive. The bleeding was stopped, but began again after the heavy dressing was changed into a lighter one too early. I was left in a corridor by an inexperienced porter on my own to await an X-ray and started to bleed out again: the staff were quick to react on my shouting for help. I was taken straight to the Plastics ward to await an operation to remedy the damage I had done. I was consulted at every stage of my four-day stay by a collection of staff, from the consultant who did the operation to the emergency registrar. The ward was relatively clean, although I will never understand why my clothes, covered in blood and in pieces from having been cut from me, were left on the bedside locker and not even bagged for the sake of hygiene. The ward was kept at a high ambient temperature which I found unnecessary. The nurses were all friendly and seemed to be carefully washing their hands between patients, something which the anaesthetist doing my operation checked with me, rather strangely. Perhaps it was concerning the MRSA rates within the hospital. My operation was delayed by a day; it could have happened on the following day to my admission but there was confusion about the number of trauma patients waiting to be dealt with and I was told I was not on the list for that day. I was told to eat, but a half-hour later was told that I could have had the operation if I had not eaten. The confusion arose because there were so many people dealing with my case. I saw at least four that morning. Having one post-admission person coordinating the treatment would have saved a great deal of time and an expensive night in hospital. Meanwhile, I was offered some washing facilities but at no time was a shower or bath offered. I was walking wounded and could have bathed myself. The staff were otherwise helpful and did their best to keep to the timetable of drugs and antibiotics prescribed. They also spent a huge amount of time dealing with persistent patient calling bells, which were annoying as they go off until answered, often at 3am.I usually take a migraine medication, but was told the pharmacy was closed so I could not get what I needed the first night when I was admitted. It seemed odd that the pharmacy could close .... The operation went ahead and seems to have been successful, but it will be months before I have regained the full use of my hand, if I ever do. Post-operative care on the ward was good. The hospital have been very efficient with follow-up appointments and again the staff have done all they can. Despite the issues mentioned above, I have been very happy with the overall standard of care. I have not developed any infection and feel that I am very lucky to live within a short distance of Wythenshawe Hospital.