"I am a cancer patient with ulcerative..."

What I liked

Because of my health difficulties I am a fairly frequent user of the hospital, my latest visit was

during the month of May 2011 and I was admitted swiftly and treated with utmost care and

courtesey. On this occasion my brief stay was in a 6 bed unit and the staff could not be faulted

for their care and devotion to their patients. However some aspects of the ward made it almost

unbearable, especially at a time when resistance is low through ill health. The ward smelt permentently of vomit and one patient spent most of his time vomitting loudly in full view of the

other patients. He was obviously very ill but his condition did little to brighten the ward and its other

patients. The patient in the next bed actually commented that he did not mind the smell because he had worked in a water treatment plant during his career. My condition requires that I make frequent trips to the toilet and during my stay it was most unpleasant to find used bedpans left in the facilities. Once again not the nicest atmosphere when the current medication already induces a feeling of nausea. The noise levels at night are beyond belief, without sleep inducing medication

I doubt if most people would get any sleep at all. This was offset by the fact that my care was of the highest standard, x-rays at midnight and a consultants visit to review the x-rays at 12.30am. Perhaps a little lost sleep is worth that kind of attention!.

What could be improved

Nurses briliant, food very good, consultants caring and attentive

Noise levels at night 3/10

Smells and odours on the ward 4/10

Bedpans congealing in the toilet 3/10 (often still there on 2nd and 3rd visits to the same toilet)

Anything else?

I appreciate the difficulties with budgets and staffing but some aspects of patient care do need tweeking for the better.