William Harvey Hospital 2015-03-30 Person 1 5 0

Generally there as a lack of care. Nurses only role seemed to be to distribute medication. The only time a nurse came to bedside was on medication round (twice a day); other than that noone came to see how I was. They did come quickly if I rang the buzzer, but I felt a nuisance doing this so tried not to. When I was in pain and/or feeling nautious but unable to take medication at that time then there was a complete lack of response other than to be told bluntly that I'd had medication and then left. Nurses did not ask whether I was eating or drinking until day 3 following operation; at this point I advised that I had not been eating (other than a yoghurt at meal times) as I felt nautious. The nurse then advised that I shouldn't take the painkillers without food. I had been doing so for 3 days without anyone telling me this. The day after my operation one nurse had told me I needed to get up and walk about as much as possible, so I tried to do so. It was painful and I started bleeding (I had a total abdominal hysterectomy). I called a nurse, who told be I shouldn't be doing that and needed to rest in bed. At no point did any of the nurses advise me on how to get in and out of bed (let alone help me to do so); nor did I receive any advice regarding what I should or shouldn't be doing. It was truly quite frightening. On the 3rd day after my operation I was told that once I'd been able to urinate (without catheter) I could be discharged. I did so and was discharged. I was given no advise on what to expect in recovery. On the 2nd day at home I was in agony with constipation all day. I read up on the internet and sent my husband for supository and laxative which thankfully worked (some warning of the possiblity of this and advice would have been helpful pre-discharge from hospital). After 3 weeks I believed my incision to be infected and phoned the ward for advice. The nurse I spoke to on this occassion was helpful and advised I come in to be seen by a doctor. After 3 hours in the waiting area of the ward a duty doctor spent 2 minutes with me, prescribed 5 days of antiobotics and left - again no advice; no mention of cleaning the wound or anything I should/shouldn't do. The infection did not clear so I went to my GP who advised how to care for the wound (which luckily I had been doing) and prescribed 7 days antibiotics. I fully appreciate that the nurses and doctors in the NHS are overwhelmed with patients. However, I believe that a more caring approach and little more time spent with patients explaining what to expect and what to do would improve things immensely (and save further complications and therefore expense to the NHS). What was once seen a caring profession seems to have lost all of the caring element.