"My experience was distressing as staff had no..."

What I liked

I was very satisfied with the initial prompt surgical care that my husband received.

What could be improved

I was deeply distressed by the way I was treated when I arrived at the hospital. The only information that I had was that my husband had been taken ill at work and had been taken to Harefield by ambulance. I spoke to a member of staff at the main reception desk who said yes he had been admitted but they would not provide any information about his condition, they said I should return in two hours at visiting time. I then approached another member of staff at the other desk where patients have ECGs done. She just shrugged and said that if my husband was admitted he must have had a heart attack, she was also not prepared to find out any information for me about his condition. So I had an agonising two hour wait until visiting time, not knowing anything about his condition, the only comfort I had was knowing that he had probably survived otherwise I would not have been advised to return at visiting time.

I was very dissatisfied about various events that I observed and heard about during my husband’s stay. In particular, dirty patient lavatories and patients being left unattended in wheelchairs in great discomfort for long periods of time in draughty corridors.