"Hip revision at Golden Jubilee hospital"

I wish to write about my experience on ward 2 East where I had a hip revision on Monday 4th June 2012.

If I ever have to go back to hospital again, I hope I can go to the Golden Jubilee. I was very impressed. I met so many really lovely people here. Almost without exception, staff were kind and smiling and I felt very well taken care of.

When there was a problem it was dealt with. For instance the food was unappetising and not suitable for my digestive system. When I explained that I needed more fibre, someone came from the kitchen to talk to me and after this I was given extra fruit at every meal and porridge or Alpen at breakfast. My one big complaint about the food is the tasteless cotton-wool stuff which pretends to be wholemeal bread. We make our own bread at home and add nuts and seeds, so my digestive system is used to real bread.

For me, another quite serious complaint is that I was told I would be sent home after 2-4 days. This caused me considerable stress and I ended up with a urine infection, an all-over rash and then shingles. I believe these were all stress-related. In fact I was sent home on Saturday after the operation on the Monday. This was fine and I felt comfortable to be going home then, the point was that my disabled husband is in respite care and I am alone at home.

I feel it would be much better to tell patients that you aim to send them home in 2-4 days but that they may stay as long as they need. I wish I had been told that, it would have put my mind at rest and saved me a lot of stress.

However, none of these comments take away from the fact that I would say I almost enjoyed my stay and cannot praise the hospital and its staff enough.

Thank you to everybody.