"The ward was clean and seemed ..."

What I liked

The ward was clean and seemed to be cleaned regularly during the short period I was there. The consultant who treated me was kind, clear in his explanations and treated me with respect.

What could be improved

I was on nil by mouth whilst they tried to diagnose what was wrong, which is understandable, but I was given one drip whilst in A&E, but it was never renewed. I went without any fluids for over 6 hours and when the doctor did advise that I could have drinks again, no-one provided me with one for over an hour despite me asking frequently because they kept forgetting. By the time I was given a drink, I had a severe headache and had to have pain killers to treat that. Also, there was no facility for me to get my own drink or water and the nurses were far to busy to provide me with one when I needed one. My water jug was withdrawn at 9pm (no-one would explain why when I asked) and whilst a small glass full was provided, this was inadequate for me during the night. I didn't get a drink again until 7.30 the next day. Facilities for getting water should be provided for more able patients. I did feel that because my illness wasn't as severe as some others in the ward that I was somewhat neglected.

Anything else?

During the night, the nurses were very noisy when at their night desk and also when attending other patients which meant that during the whole period I was there, I got no real sleep. This was made worse by the fact that the elderly lady in the bed next to me was up and down all night tugging at my bedclothes and despite my pleas to the night staff, they wouldn't do anything to stop her. I pulled the curtains around me to try to distract her, but the nurses pulled them back as they said they needed to be able to see into the ward. I know that space is at a premium but I feel that elderly people who cause disturbance and distress to other patients should be kept in different wards. She was clearly disturbing another patient too.