"I was very impressed with the service extended to..."

What I liked

August 26th was a Bank Holiday Sunday when I turned up at the Accident and Emergency Department of the Kent and Canterbury Hospital at 8.30am with a condition that required emergency surgery that same day.

Since that date I have required the services of the following additional NHS departments;

2) The Ambulance Services

3) The Accident & Emergency Services of the William Harvey Hospital (WHH) (Twice)

4) The (WHH) surgical team who specialise in my condition.

5) 10 days on the Kings B Recovery Ward at the WHH

6) The District Nursing Service

7) The Out of Hours South East Health Service

8) 2 days in the Clinical Decision Unit at the WHH

9) The Haematology department

10) The CT Scan Department

11) The X ray department

12) The Hospital Porter Services

13) The DVT Ambulatory outpatient department.

14) The Catering Department

15) Department of Clinical Dietetics

16) Physiotherapy Department

17) Pharmacy department

I am sure there were others

I cannot fault any of these NHS services that have been extended to me. The number of NHS staff who have been involved in my care, both directly and indirectly, has been extraordinary. The transfer of my information from one department to another has been seamless.

It was also impressive to witness;

a) The quality control processes and well established procedural routines that are in place.

b) That all such services are available on a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week basis,

and above all

c) The professionalism, dedication, level of care, teamwork and camaraderie of all the staff. I am deeply indebted to them all.

Yours with grateful thanks

Peter B A Patient 26th August 2012 to present.

Anything else?

There was one area that saddened me during my 12 days in hospital, and this was the lack of consideration by patients towards those, at all levels, who had a part in looking after them. Few made any effort to learn the names of even the regular staff. Simple expressions of gratitude were in very short supply. In all the number of people I saw leave for home not once did I see anyone go out of their way to seek out the appropriate ward staff to thank them before they did. Sadly enquiries on my part confirmed that all this was the norm. Given that a patient and his family’s total cost for all the services extended to them amounts to a few pounds in hospital parking fees this attitude leaves much to be desired.

Peter N.B