"6 out of 10"

What I liked

The food was always good, with plenty of choice, and I am grateful that a Sister made sure I had a good supper on the evening that I was admitted. I was also glad that, on the Sunday morning, by which time I had been transferred to Mary Moore Ward, a nurse actually gave me an extra coffee, when I said that this would help. I also noticed that another patient in Mary Moore Ward, who needed help to eat, always got it.

I was also grateful to be transferred to Mary Moore Ward on the Saturday, after saying that I had had a bad night in the Clinical Assessment Unit.

What could be improved

I was admitted to the Clinical Assessment Unit, St Helier Hospital, on the evening of Friday, January 20, 2012, with cellulitis and a DVT. I would like to say what a depressing place this is from the patient's point of view, with nocturnal disturbances (including someone admitted at 2am having to answer the dementia questionnaire at that time), and no access to TV/internet/phone. I used my mobile, but wondered whether this was allowed. I also noticed that a curtain was not attached at one corner, letting in more light than necessary.

On the Saturday morning, after a bad night, I was hoping to get a newspaper from a trolley, having seen a newspaper trolley in another hospital, and was also hoping to get an extra coffee from a vending machine. It was very disappointing to discover that there was no newspaper trolley, and no vending machine within reach.

Also, the locker system for storing patients' own medicines seemed to have broken down. I gave a nurse my supply of Propranolol on the Friday evening, then found that it had been returned to my (open) bedside locker the following day.

Another issue is that a porter left me holding my notes at one stage, and I read them, then later discovered that they were confidential. Could I suggest that wheelchairs be fitted with a pocket on the back for confidential records?

Another minor complaint is that the ward nurses don't know the correct sites for injecting Fragmin. I later discovered that it should be injected below the waist, in the upper abdomen or the thighs, but the nurses either inject it in the upper arm (which is more painful that the correct site) or in the side, above the waist. No harm was done in my case, but this would make things more difficult for anyone with a needle phobia.

Anything else?

I was expecting to be given a form on discharge, on which to record what I thought of the service and treatment that I received, but I totally forgot to ask, and no form was given to me.