Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion 2017-03-16 Person 2 5 0

Although I have no complaints about the actual eye care I have received here, this place has serious problems with its nursing and administrative staff. From the moment I arrived at the front desk, I encountered off-hand attitudes, and I witnessed some downright and kindness. I was very shocked during a recent day admission for a cataract operation to find that all patients were herded into one room, and sensitive questions (such as 'have you passed urine this morning?') were asked of elderly people of both genders in front of everyone else. Most of the nurses were well mannered, and one or two were lovely, but none of them explained to us what was going on, or when our operations would actually happen. That would be really simple to do, and would have prevented a lot of anxiety. In retrospect, I can work out what the system was. At the time it just seemed like ramshackle chaos. One nurse was absolutely awful. Interestingly, she was the only one not wearing a name tag, which makes me wonder whether she has been complained about before. She chewed gum throughout the day, and responded to any call for assistance by saying "Just a minute", but she never came. A patient with a walking frame who needed the loo was left to panic while that nurse chatted with a colleague, in front of us all, about how one of the surgeons was too fussy about when eye drops should be administered in advance of the operation - saying that the surgeon's instructions could be ignored because it was easier to do all the patients at once. That didn't exactly inspire confidence just before going under the knife. They didn't tell us the meaning of the various different coloured uniforms staff were wearing, but the unpleasant nurse's tunic was slightly darker than the rest, so I wonder whether she might actually have been in charge! Like many of the other patients, I was asked to sign a consent form when I could not see well enough to read, and the nurse who took my signature told me nothing about what was written on the form I was signing, or what the procedure would involve. I used to work in the health service, and we would not have considered that to be informed consent! I was too scared to complain, because I know I will need to go back to have my other eye done, and I don't want to be victimised, but there really is no reason why being in the eye pavilion should be so frightening, undignified and unpleasant. It's not a question of money, it's about management and training, and alerting staff to the fact that although it is just another working day for them, for their patients a visit to hospital is a nerve-wracking occasion. The patient doesn't know the routine or the geography of the hospital, and shouldn't be expected to. Simple friendly communication can inspire confidence, and prevent a visit to the Eye Pavilion turning into the nightmare of anxiety that I, and those around me, experienced.