"A positive experience better than anticipated"

What I liked

I had a knee replacement the last week in May on Dickens ward and was very happy, just as my friends who had been there before said I would be. On my arrival, someone showed me to my bed, a nervous wreck. My admission by a sister who quickly put me at my ease, the surgeon and anaesthetist reassuringly efficient, the other staff settling me in, keeping me occupied while carrying on with their other ward duties and the friendly porter who took me for my operation, things could not have been better. My recovery was a lot easier than I expected, though I am sure if I had more physio I could have gone home a day earlier. The time between painkillers and physio often made a top up necessary.

I have read a lot of negative things about the health service and in my experience none of it was seen by me during my stay. From the sister to the cleaners and porters the staff all seem very happy which reflects on the way they do their jobs. I do hope that the managers of this department value the staff they have. I was a little disappointed I did not have an opportunity to see the Matron to let her know what a positive experience I had.

What could be improved

My tablets had to come from the other hospital so my husband had to come back for them instead of me waiting in the hospital until late afternoon.

Anything else?

I would like to see the matron more often. I know they wear red but no one I spoke to said they had seen her