"A word of thanks and recognition ..."

What I liked

A word of thanks and recognition to the Advanced Nurse Practitioner attached to the OACS ward (ward 4B South I think) at the Royal Free Hospital for the follow-up care they gave my partner in April 2010, visiting her in the evening at the nearby Marie Curie Hospice to tend to the PICC line they had installed at the hospital. And thanks too to the manager(s) on the ward for allowing and I hope encouraging the to offer this care. The PICC line is an absolute Godsend, because getting blood out of my partner or getting venous access for medications is near impossible without it. The expertise has transformed her experience. The Advanced Nurse Practitioner is also a wonderfully warm and caring nurse.

What could be improved

This restored some of our faith in the hospital after an appalling time in the previous week on ward 11 East, a ward under stress from the top down which meant my partner was left in pain for hours in an uncomfortable position waiting for procedures to be completed before she could get back in to bed. To cap things after struggling to get ready for 10am for transport to the hospice we did not leave until after 1pm which might have been too late as no doctors were to be available at the hospice in the afternoon. This was partly because twice transport arrived but without a wheel chair because it had not been recorded that one was required. The distress this all caused was very great. That came after generally very good experiences on ward 4 South (formerly Compston) whose matron was excellent in finding a bed the ambulance could take her straight to instead of an A&E wait.

Anything else?

It seems that management at the hospital is unable to ensure consistent caring and efficiency - when it happens, it seems down to the individuals involved. The systems are not up to the job.