"Following heart attack with 2 ..."

What I liked

Following heart attack with 2 cardiac arrests at my home and 1 at Kent & Sussex Hospital, I was brought at great speed to St Thomas' (all thanks to skills of the ambulance crews at Crowborough and Tunbridge Wells).

IMMEDIATELY brought in for angioplast with stent early on Tuesday morning 30 October 2007. Thankfully this went well and was in CCU intensive care unit for 2 days before being transferred to Stephens ward for a further 3 days.

Very impressed by the Medical team and both them and the nursing staff on both wards knew exactly what to do.

What could be improved

Patients with CHRONIC conditions seem to be somewhat left to one side unless they complain. Understandably emergency cases take priority but there were ar least two on Stephens ward who had been in for some time and their treatments did not appear to have progressed. No doubt there were good reasons but maybe closer patient contact could be maintained. Peoples minds need to be exercised and this will not be done by sitting around in a hospital without clear targets being set for treatment/discharge.

The heating in both wards was excessive! Not only does this add to heating bills and also emissions but surely also allows "bugs" to breed.

Security appeared to be non-existent! On last night's News there was a report of the ease with which guns could be smuggled through the Port of Dover - well, exactly the same could be said for St Thomas' (& probably every other hospital in the UK).

Let me emphasise that I have no complaints whatsoever about my own personal service. It was totally exemplary and could not be bettered! These complaints are rather perceived shortcomings which are no doubt not unique to St Thomas'.