"Horrible experience this time at Homerton"

I have been on Edith Cavell ward at the Homerton about 7 times, each for about a week, over the past 4 years. The last time was one month ago in October 2007. As far as I can see, it never seems to improve.

1.The bed management that I experienced was poor. Although I am mobile and able to look after myself, I was placed in a bay with high-dependency patients and frequently had to smell other people's faeces as their dressings were changed. Also had to listen to other people's moaning and cries throughout the day and night. It was totally inappropriate for me to be put with the people who needed constant care and monitoring.

2. None of the showers worked for two days. The toilets need to be properly and deeply cleaned as there are splatters and brown stains, I can only guess what they are, around the floor and skirting. I really wish someone would inspect the bathrooms every 15 minutes.

On that subject, there seems to be one toilet per 6 patients. I had extremely bad diarrhea, and actually had several accidents because the toilets were fully occupied. They should put people with diarrhea in there own rooms or on wards with much more toilets.

3. There was someone who I thought was a kleptomaniac on my bay who took every opportunity to steel sweets, mobile phones and purses from people's bedside lockers, and the lockers do not have locks on them and there is no way to lock them, so every time I went to the toilet I had to take my handbag with me. She also go into people's lockers when they were asleep.

4. The nurses seemed to me to be extremely strained and stressed and unapproachable in any way. One nurse was an absolute misery and just simply rude to everyone, and other patients commented on this.

5. The strip light shining directly in my eyes above the bed wasn't turned off until 11pm, but sleep was impossible because of the loud noises and bad smells.

6. I was told I was not allowed to have my curtain pulled around because the nurses said they wanted to see the other patients (they didn't need to monitor me, it was because of which bed they had put me in), but I am agoraphobic, so I got into a major panic state about this, then I became so depressed I said that I would have to go home because it was all too stressful. At this point the doctors tried to find a side room or quieter bed for me, which was kind, but the nurses said they were too busy to move me and it was awkward and time consuming for them. In the event there was no side room.

7. I was harassed by another patient and nobody did anything about this when I reported it, this has also happened on a different occasion when I was on that ward.

I have had a good experience of the other following wards where staff were professional and it was cleaner: Intensive Care, Lloyd, MDU, Day Stay Unit, Surgical Ward, the A&E admissions ward and Preistly Ward.

Thank you.