"NHS at its best when needed with lots of..."

What I liked

Very helpful and attentive staff in pre-op assessment and same day admissions unit. Also oncology (urology) nursing team who devoted a lot of time to answering concerns and queries. Time and effort devoted to me as a person, not a number. Please pass on thanks to all concerned.

What could be improved

1. Food. Bland, flavourless and lacked fresh vegetables and fruit. Bananas offered were black and well past fresh date.

2. Staff talking in hearing of all patients including confidential medical and personal matters. Surely these could be discussed in lower voices or, where patient not involved, out of earshot of the other patients?

3. Staff talking at night, after 11pm. Patients are really not interested in staff personal chitchat when trying to get some sleep.

4. Bleeping of equipment not in use (ripple beds?) and lights not being turned off until late (11pm and later) don't help sleep.

5. When discharged (having been told to contact the ward about my catheter, not the community nurse or GP) was twice told to contact my GP - who of course had little knowledge of the issues surrounding my op and post-op management). Perhaps ward staff could be asked to put patient in contact with medical team rather than trying to answer questions of concern?

Anything else?

Car parking capacity terrible at certain times.

Bedside TV/radio/phone system. Very poor instructions (and I am quite "computerate"), outrageous call costs (50p/minute for calls) and very poor internet experience, tiny keyboard and lots of sites I like to visit were blocked. No-one clear about whether mobiles can be used on the ward - perhaps this should be added to welcome pack and displayed by the beds?