"Sonning Ward"

Anything else?

I am commenting about the sub standard care provided during my stay on Sonning ward in September 2012. Since RBH has not seen fit to respond to the comments left by the mastectomy patient, who endured such a harrowing experience, I felt that maybe they needed to be reminded that other patients on this ward have also had extremely negative experiences. I completed a survey, emailed the Chief Executive and spoke with the ward sister after my stay here. The nurses were robotic with no real interaction with the patients as they hurried around the ward taking readings, never once looking at dressings of patient wounds etc. or having the time to get to know them as people. The most charming nurse was the lovely junior nurse who made us toast in the morning and chatted away about her own family and was keen to hear about ours - she genuinely engaged with the patients.The ward was not kept clean, unemptied containers of urine were left in the toilets, there were not enough shower units for all the women on the ward and the staff were attached to the nurses station to avoid patient interaction. An elderly patient was discovered in the middle of the night collapsed on the toilet floor, the nurses hadn't noticed, and two diabetic patients were very poorly as no nurse had thought to give them an evening snack to keep their sugar levels stable.The ward sister assured me that she was trying to encourage her staff to interact with the patients and I was assured that random checks of the ward would take place. Following my stay of only two days, I couldn't wait to leave, I developed a post operative infection, and was informed by my GP that my iron levels were so depleted I should have received a blood transfusion. Come on RBH there's not much point asking for patient feedback if you do not learn from it. I know the service is stretched, resources are low, but you really need to make Sonning ward fit for purpose and respond promptly to patients who have concerns. Perhaps you'll be able to tell me what improvements have been made since my stay here and offer an assurance to me and fellow patients that you are addressing any ongoing issues rather than issuing your normal apologetic response.