"Ward 34B"

Whilst I cannot fault the expertise & dedication of my consultant or the friendliness & professionalism of the theatre staff & anaesthetists, the 'care' I received from Ward 34B left me traumatised & totally exhausted after my major op last week.

Within ten minutes of arriving from my op to a room, I was moved to a ward to make room for a patient.

Over the next three days I was moved a further four times - once woken at 4am by a nurse telling me I was being moved again.

My belongings were dumped on top of me in the bed.

Not once did I get the chance to relax & recover from my surgery as it was drummed into me frequently that the room/my bed was needed by patients in a & e & yet I witnessed several patients occupying beds 'having tests' for 'headaches' & 'vaginal discharge' whose tests all came back negative & were discharged having had a nice rest left alone in an observation ward opposite the nurses station.

Why was I not afforded the same respect to recover from major surgery?

There was a noticeable lack of care or concern for patients with the exception of one member of staff plus there was little continuity at shift changes.

The discharge suite is a disgrace - patients occupying this room were on the whole unwell & unfit for discharge but were subjected to a cluster of bullying staff.

'Favourites' ie frequent A & E misusers were cosseted by the same staff & sent off in their NHS transport with packets of sandwiches, loaves of bread & biscuits supplied for all patients.

It is my opinion that at Southmead Hospital after the consultants have done their excellent work, patients are at the mercy of too many people in the wrong job who do not engage for a second with patient care or well being.