"Hospital Comment"

What I liked

I have experienced a nurse phoning to shout and abuse me. I have been cancelled twice for a knee replacement and this third time I was given a date for my procedure and promptly forgotten about. I phoned to ask why paperwork hadn't been forwarded to me to be told by four depts., Admissions, Orthopaedic Admissions, my consultants secretary and a general number that I was passed to, that there was no paperwork and my operation was not booked. I have now got to be re-assessed and begin again whilst my condition worsens. This is not the first time that I have met this level of incompetence at Cheltenham General. I am now terrified to be admitted there. No-one seems to care and when the people who count are contacted they respond in a defensive and self justifying manner. I am thoroughly disgusted.

What could be improved

Greater patient/department liaison. More politeness from staff. Better communication between departments. Some sort of empathy about what the patient is going through. A general improvement in courtesy. A genuine concern when a patient send in a complaint or feed back. My feedback was met with a defensive reply full of justification and a definite patronising slant. it annoyed me almost as much as the incidents I was discussing.

Anything else?

Most staff I have encountered in Cheltenham General walk about with long faces and look as miserable as sin. I understand that times are difficult. They are for all of us but it should not affect each persons demeanour they way it does. Moral seems to be at rock-bottom. There are no pillows in most departments, wards are dirty, the hospital is shabby and the staff defensive. The few nice people I have met there seem to fight against a growing atmosphere of despair. It is a terrible shame for the very good , kind, competent people who end up being shadowed by the poor attitude that their colleagues project. It is unfortunate that I have to attend about five or six departments at different times. Therefore I see a lot of staff and can form an over-view of the atmosphere that is prevalent. It is not good. I have lost all confidence in this hospital.