"Not enough pain relief for endoscopy at Royal Hallamshire"

I have been to Royal Hallamshire (Sheffield) twice recently, once to Emergency Admissions for kidney pain, and then once to the Endoscopy Suite for treatment for IBS. In both cases I appreciated the care, concern and empathy of medical staff.

During my visit for kidney pain, however, I there were a few things I thought could be improved; the attitudes of nurses, the level of staffing and the waiting times. While there I was treated for abdominal pain in Emergency Admissions NOT kidney pain!! I arrived in Emergency Admissions and it wasn't until I left at 7.15pm (8 hours and an X-ray later) did I realise they were not in fact treating me for my complaint (kidney pain). I was being treated for abdominal pain instead, which was written on my discharge summary!

Though I would like to thank Richard, the ward manager in Emergency Admissions - he was a very hard worker. And I also want to thank Mr. Downs and SpRs (Specialist Registrars) in Emergency Admissions.

When I went to the Endoscopy Suite I was not happy with the amount of pain relief (sedative) I received. I was also not impressed with the helpfulness and politeness of admin staff and some nurses. There really was nowhere near enough pain relief for my endoscopy! 2mg sedative is nowhere near enough for a gastroscopy and colonoscopy - gas and air helped a little on top of this, but not of course for gastroscopy!

The admin staff obviously don't like their jobs and no-one wanted to discuss my concerns when I asked!

I would like to thank Jackie and the support nursing staff in the Endoscopy Suite.

In my opinion, all this is a direct result of a lack of funding for the NHS .