"Surgical, theatre and ward nursing care were..."

What I liked

I appreciated the professionalism and pleasant manner of my anaesthetist and surgeon and especially the time taken to discuss and explain anaesthetic procedures. I also found the nursing staff to be kind, considerate and efficient. Their knowledge of joint replacement surgery was commendable.

Ward hygiene was very good. Staff used gel and gloves always giving confidence that at last the hospital is wanting to get to grips with infection.

What could be improved

Bed time drinks arriving after midnight; being woken at 6am but not having a cup . of tea until 7.45 are not acceptable. This is understandable given the shortage of staff at night on a busy ward.

The food quality is generally mixed. Fish casserole was totally overcooked and like rubber. Food requests from the order form were not always followed. I was amazed that toast was never available. Tea and toast when coming round from an anaesthetic are very comforting and have always been available on the ward in other hospitals I have been in.

Discharge procedures need to be reviewed, particularly the inordinately long wait for pharmacy.(Friends who have been patients in Warwick relate similar delays) I had to wait in discomfort in a cramped staff room for three hours simply for my medicines to arrive before I could leave. After a bed has had to be vacated there is no proper provision for post operative patients to wait. Other hospitals I have been in have comfortable day rooms. While waiting for discharge a cleaner attempted to mop the floor. She used one mop unrinsed to slowly clean a small area moving no furniture and leaving rubbish under a chair..

The car parking charges are quite outrageous and surely cannot be justified, particularly as the profits do not go towards the hospital budget. What a pity that car parking, cleaning and the food provision have been outsourced to a private profit making company.