Berrywood Hospital

We apologise that you felt there was not enough staff at times and that staff have been busy. The ward environment is very busy and staff have to prioritise the needs of patients based on individual needs. We always encourage independence from patients to facilitate a successful transfer out of hospital on discharge so do not always seek to provide continuous support for all our patients. There have been additional pressures due to the pandemic that have impacted on staffing but we will continue to work with patients to meet their needs.

Thank you for taking the time to review your time on Riverside Ward. On admission all property is checked in and anything that is identified as a risk is put away safely for patients. I am sorry you did not have access to your make up and dry shampoo whilst at Riverside and will discuss with the team which items are identified a risk as these would not normally be deemed as such. Typically items may be removed on an individual basis and in discussion with the patient – Our apologies that this has not occurred during your time on the ward and we will endeavour that this doesn’t happen in the future. The ward can be very busy with 16 patients – all of whom have differing needs. There are other quiet areas on the ward where patients can have quiet conversations without the television on and would always encourage patients to utilise these areas if possible. The community meetings are an ideal place to raise these concerns so solutions can be found that appease those on the ward if you have concerns or would like changes as these are always very dependent on the patients we have in at the time. We will pass on your views regarding food to the kitchens and are able to make some limited individual requests for patients for items such as salads. We endeavour to improve the care we give so again thank you for your constructive feedback.

I have passed your comment on to the manager to provide a full answer. Best wishes, Hugh Jones, Patient Experience Manger.