"I would like to place on record ..."

What I liked

I would like to place on record my appreciation of the care given to my mother by the doctors, nurses and ancillary staff of Warwick Hospital and in particular those of Nicholas and Malins wards.

My 96 year old mother was admitted twice recently and received the most dedicated attention from both medical and nursing staff. Everything was done for her treatment and comfort and the standard of cleanliness is now most impressive. On her second admission it eventually became apparent that palliative care was the only option appropriate and this was done with tender care and loving kindness. The staff gave family visitors the utmost consideration, in particular on the night of 12th / 13th June. I was called at 7:30 on that Saturday evening when the end was thought to be imminent, and I was well supplied with coffee to keep me awake. Soon after midnight, mum settled into more normal breathing and I decided to go home in order to get some sleep – we only live ten minutes drive from the hospital. Mum’s nurse assured me that she would keep checking on her and call me if there was a change. The call came at 6:30 am and I was at the bedside well rested at 6:50 – mum died very peacefully at 7:15. I’m so grateful for the sensitive way in which her passing was managed.

What could be improved

On one visit I thought that the nursing staff were over pressed and could have done with another pair of hands. They prioritised and coped but I wouldn't like to think they are put in that situation very often. There were some very difficult patients in the ward at the time and it got a bit noisey and distressing for my father visiting his by then dying wife. No blame to the staff in this, they did the best they could and certainly made it up to us afterwards.

I spent a fortune on car park season tickets and was not best pleased on a couple of occasions to find it full and had to park miles away on-street ; very difficult when bringing my rather imobile 93 year old father, who has had a recent fall, to visit. The drop off spaces are nearly always occupied - sometimes with NHS out of hours GP service cars, so I had to drop him in some most dangerous locations, telling him to wait while I parked somewhere, returning to help him afterwards. Another accident waiting to happen was always my fear.

Also the car park barriers are so slow and unreliable which adds to the congestion - its a useless system which I've never seen in any other car park. Surely if NHS is charging commercial car park rates it can afford a proper commercial car park system to the benefit of all.

Anything else?

In spite of all the grumbles its a very good hospital, I'm just thankful to live nearby. At one time during my mother's hospitalisation my wife was an in-patient for five days following an emergency admission. I was under great pressure myself and I don't know how I would have coped if the hospital was a more distant one.