"I stayed in Fortescue ward having ..."

What I liked

I stayed in Fortescue ward having experienced severe colon difficulties. Overall the nurses were excellent as were the staff who cleaned, changed the beds and served the food

What could be improved

A number of areas. Infection control. I noticed that the legs on my mobile drip stand were absolutely filthy this appeared built up over a long period of time. During my stay there was an outbreak of the norwalk (not sure spelling) or vomitting bug. There was no information passed to patients in the ward and nothing in place to stop cross infection. The outside private agent who checks all the televsions made no attempt to wash their hands as they checked and touched each individual television they came around every day and though had only checked my tv the day before could not resist in pawing it all over again. This all during an outbreak, no one in the hospital appears to have picked this up. As a patient I was given no dietary advice realting to my medical condition and was eating foods that I should have been keeping clear of and in fact making my condition worse this was an awful preventable error

Anything else?

Dignity is something that should be afforded to all patients. Hospitals can be really frightening places when your future health is in serious doubt.

Regretably some of the consultants need to learn how better to deliver bad news as I witnessed devistating news being delivered to a fellow patient in a matter of fact way in full hearing of the rest of the patients on the ward. I appreciate they are doing this day in and day out but they should address each patient as though it was the 1st time they had to deliver such news and not forget patients dignity. I honestly felt no better than livestock at times. I would not recommend this hospital in the particular area which I found myself to be and will make sure that I discuss the NHS choices scheme with my GP.