Worthing Hospital

Waiting in a and e.for.4.5 hours so far with partner, people arrive after us and I understand it is prioritised, I get that as I work in a gp surgery, but when a child who.comes in with a cough and spends 4 hours running around laughing and jumping up and down who is seen before us with his crisps and chocolate.and.fizzy drink in hand it makes me mad.

I was admitted via ambulance on Saturday straight into resus then later discharged with what I thought was the appropriate treatment. I was at home resting in bed at 10pm two days later when I was rudely awoken by one of the A&E doctors trying to call me; this wouldn’t be an issue if they hadn’t then phone my house phone too, as well as my mothers phone a number of times. I was told by the doctor on the phone that I needed a further course of antibiotics as well as the ones I’d been discharged with because they had found something in a culture that they were testing in the lab that they had taken from my blood samples. I was intsructed to go to A&E and they would have the extra medication ready for me to pick up and carry on resting as per my instructions. Well I arrived at Worthing hospital to be told I was booked back on which was not what I was here for in the first place; furthermore I was told the doctor was aware I had arrived and would be along shortly to see me and sort out my medication. Well I had been kept waiting for well over the 5 hour mark before my name was even uttered to be seen by a doctor. I was then reassessed as if I was a new patient and given the same antibiotics that I already had that was not the reason I was there in the first place!! Angry is an understatement. I spent more time in the hospital waiting room than I did in my own home resting, and ended up feeling worse than I did when I was originally admitted on Saturday. It is honestly the worst experience I have had with this hospital and in future I will be driving further a field if I require urgent care because this incident! Actually seeing the doctor and getting the medication took less than 5 minutes and she was unfortunately completely unaware as to my reason for visiting despite not visiting of my own free will to begin with I was instructed too by one of the other doctors working the same department. The lack of communication is an absolute shambles!!

I was admitted in the B-Zone, this was the most traumatic experience of my life. During my detention in this Ward, I was not informed about my treatment. I was placed on antibiotics, when I asked the Nurse she said I don't know I only work here. A nurse not knowing or being ignorant due to the question. The consultant comes along once not speaking to me but two his two assistants saying, he was admitted last night via A&E, has a drain in due to recent surgery, his care will be taken over by the breast team. I'm lying there not even a question to me. The breast consultant comes to see me and checked my wounds and drain site. He said that everything was fine and can be discharged. When I did ask the HCA to please ask the nurses when they suspect I would be able to go home? No answer-back. The next morning I requested again from the male HCA to please ask the Nurse what time I will be discharged, he never comes back. At 15:00 I left my room to speak to the Nurse in charge. She said no you can't go home until you are discharged by the other Dokter who admitted you. I informed her that my surgical consultant discharged me Yesterday and that I can go home. I also informed her that I will leave the Ward by 17:00 and that they need to please ensure I'm fully discharged by then, my partner will be picking me up by then. The attitude from the Nursing staff was ignorant, arrogant and not caring at all. The HCA's need more training to know how to communicate with the patient and the importance of communication. Consultants should communicate with patients, after all, if there were no patients they would not be there at all. Care for patients should be on top of the list. I had more communication from the cleaner who was friendly and ensured I had a cleaned area. There was no staff member coming into my room and asked about me the patient, the only time I had a nurse attending to me was when I rang the bell, and even then it was what do you need, nothing about how are you feel do you need anything. Can I replace the Linnen are you comfortable. My linen in 3 days was never touched by any person and o yes it was bloodstained. Where is the Nursing of patient gone to? As a professional Nurse I trained and worked 23 yrs with patients and I fell sick just to let other people know that I'm a Nurse because I don't want to be associated with that type of patient care. Shortage of Nursing does not substitute bad nursing care and if that's the argument to defend bad nursing care you might as well close down. Please remember Florence Nightinggales legacy. Since the time of Florence Nightingale, the goal of nursing has remained unchanged, namely to provide a safe and caring environment that promotes patient health and well being. Effective use of an interpersonal tool, such as advocacy, enhances the caregiving environment.

I was unexpectedly admitted to downloads for 5 days following Surgery and subsequent complications. I cannot rate every individual on that ward highly enough. Everyone from the housekeeping staff to the Nurses were kind, courteous, caring and above all patient. There were time I personally felt I was a nuisance or should be at home but they really made me feel I was in the best place for recovery. I had to have some fairly embarrassing procedures done during my stay but I was treated with dignity at all times. My only gripe which I know was shared by my fellow “inmates” was how abrupt and (at times) borderline rude- the doctors were on ward visits. Yes they are very busy and overstretched but boy do they have the ability to belittle when they want to. Indeed they made one lady cry which was totally unnecessary. However this is no reflection on the outstanding team who run the suite and keep everyone going. My consultant was particularly fantastic visiting me on the ward only because he heard along the grape vine I was still there. I even received a follow up call from the Martin after I got home- just brilliant.

I’m sick & tired of loud televisions in NHS waiting rooms. I’m waiting in A&E with my 84-year old mother and neither of us want to listen to or watch The Jeremy Kyle show. We brought books but it’s impossible to read with the loud TV on. Why do hospitals pander to the lowest common denominator? We’re not here for “entertainment.”