"Mixed experience"

After years of working without a day off due to illness I retired in 2016 and had a heart attack a few months later.

I was initially taken to the Victoria Hospital for immediate treatment and initial assessment. I was in a small ward with 4 beds, one of my fellow patients had dementia, one night he fell out of bed. I had to get a nurse to help him up and back to bed. I would chat to him during the day but he was very restless and loud during the night which prevented the rest of us from getting much sleep. I raised this with the consultant asking him if anything could be done to help the dementia patient and us to rest at night, he was very dismissive, a ‘what do you expect me to do about it’ attitude. I thoguht his bedside manner was terrible. Apart from this one consultant all the staff were great.

For the four nights I was at the Victoria hospital I did not get any restful nights.

In January I was admitted to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for a heart valve and heart bypass operation. The care and treatment I received from Dr Zanvar and his team was superb, he made a real good job of my body. This doctor is the nicest man you could meet. All the staff from the cleaner to the consultant at this hospital were delightful, they cared for the patients, we were treated as people, the atmosphere was relaxed.

I have since been discharged and am visited at home by district nurses who again are very helpful and caring.