Respondent Comments

Please see below patient's comments from the UK Inpatient Survey 2005.

L1 - Was there anything particularly good about your hospital care?


the staff were most caring and helpful. being a smaller hospital than my stay in recent hospitals in the city, i found the atmosphere friendly and cheerful and certainly not as noisy and frantic. the consultants were excellent.

all the doctors, nurses and hospital staff were very kind, caring, helpful and polite, which made my stay in hospital not as bad as i expected as i was very nervous and afraid.

they were there when we needed them.

friendliness of staff. honest open approach.

i was in warfedale general hospital for my operation. although only a short stay i found all staff to have the highest standards of care & understanding.

the nurses, when they had the time, were very helpful & caring & treated me like a person rather than a number.

i had my own room i slept well and the privacy. i had with my visitors was very nice.

the doctor and nurses.

yes, there was a nurse on my ward who made me feel very relaxed and was like a friend the way she treated me - this was very good.

i was impressed with the staff. also of how clean the hospital was.

i was in chapel allerton hospital twice this year and both times i was looked after with great care and attention. in between the two operations, i was taken to the lgi as my new hip had dislocated. although the ward was old i was looked after with the same care & attention.

i though the conversation and humour of the nurses was excellent.

the stay in hospital was very good, the staff very nice & friendly.

the staff were friendly.

not enough staff nurses on ward to give care (help) for everyone.

as i was admitted for just one night for a sleep study i did not have much contact with staff.

i have always been very impressed with the care the hospital staff administers at st james.

all my care was excellent the staff were very good in all departments, i could not have received any better care anywhere else.

very good.

the staff were able to pin point the problem i was having very quickly, this time and i was able to go home quickly with the correct medication. my previous admission 7/7/05 did not do this.

i had confidence in the surgeon carrying out the operation.

overall i think the staff & doctors try very hard to make things work. there is always some points that can be said or done.

the doctors & nurses.

st james. doctor rang hospital, went up to ward in a wheelchair, seen by 4 doctors in twenty minutes. ongoing treatment.

the manner the nurses & the doctors talked to me, i.e. with dignity & respect.

the day to day cleaning of the ward was excellent.

the environment was excellent.

staff were helpful and caring.

the treatment & care was very good, all staff were pleasant & caring.

ive had care in leeds all my life, leeds hospital are very good at treating everything. if they arent they will send you somewhere where they are.

being on holiday and 470 miles from home, hospital care meant a lot. i found all staff friendly (easy to talk to) caring, reassuring and nothing was a bother.

there is not enough, or any, refreshments for visitors 7 days a week.

i was attended to very quickly once my gp had referred me to the hospital.

excellent care from surgeon.

care and consideration.

the speed things moved along once the much awaited diagnosis was reached.

my stay in hospital was very good once they had done the operation and relieved my pain.

i was placed in a side ward and had some privacy.

the standard of doctor and nursing care was outstanding, a total success.

i thought the staff were excellent and did all they could.

i got very good help from all the staff.

it was all pretty good.

i have renal cancer (just diagnosed this year). i cannot praise too highly the treatment and aftercare i have received. all staff i have come into contact with, both as an inpatient and outpatient, have been very helpful and kind.

i was treated as if i was part of their family, they were all super.

i had a pacemaker fitted efficiently. no fuss!

everyone, doctors, nurses and other staff were so kind.

doctors and nurses were wonderful.

all the doctors, nurses - all the staff, even dinner folks were very kind and very polite. the make you feel comfortable. you have my greatest thanks. (name)

there is always a good atmosphere in the hospital.

i would like to praise the care and attention to detail given to me by dr (name) and mr (name) but all on ward 18 were very kind and helpful.

my stay in wharfedale general hospital was made as comfortable as possible. the doctors, nurses & ward staff were excellent in their care.

it was all good on the whole.

excellent surgeon & good anaesthetist. food good.

everyone in the ward was friendly, including the staff.

having been employed at sj hospital, leeds and the many times ive received treatment, i have never criticised they system or lost faith.

everyone was very helpful.

in an emergency admission i received immediate attention and obtained a bed in urology dept after examination within two hours.

i have had several stays in hospital and each time i have been treated very, very well.

the staff were very good, nurses, doctors, etc.

good explaining about hygiene & mrsa, good practice & reduce (***).

i have no real complaints, as i have been in & out of hospital all my life, but over the last 6 or 7 years i have seen standards go down hill, not enough nurses, not their fault, just the way it has got.

i dont want to go back into hospital, but if i do, please not the geriatric ward, as i said, to dr (name), i can do the crossword on the sunday express. but all that lot and can do , is ""mess up the bed"". pensioners should be given free, or better, telephone facilities, its damned dear to use. food is alright, but make sure xmas decorations, are all taken down, no ends left out. well i might spend my 93 birthday with you, i hope not!

my treatment (as an emergency) for angioplasty was done very quickly. no waiting at all.

the hard work and caring of st james staff is excellent.

being kept informed about my treatment from admission to discharge.

commitment of nurses and doctors.

waiting time for treatment.

the nursing staff at cookridge hospital made me feel at ease, comfortable and cared for. they were always polite and friendly and made a scary and difficult time easier to cope with. i thank them all from the bottom of my heart for everything they did.

a tv set was provided for me at the bedside which made my stay more pleasant.

peace of mind.

everything went well. the department was very efficient.

i couldnt fault the staff in the ward i was in, having been admitted on a few occasions.

personal care by a particular nurse.

nurses always positive and cheerful, which may seem like a small gesture but helps greatly. hopefully this also indicates theyre enjoying their work?!

i had excellent treatment.

dr (name) team excellent, cancer nurse (name) very good, and rest of staff.

although this time it was only a short stay, i was looked after very well.

the nursing staff was excellent and also my doctor

i didnt wait long for a bed & admission was quick, the nurses as always were very good.

doctors & nursing staff have on each occasion i have been in hospital, been very good.

on the whole the nursing staff are excellent. helpful and considerate but sometimes not visible. maybe because there is not enough!

i love coming to leeds the nurses are very good with me at all times and over the years (name) has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.

i was totally relaxed entering the ward; it was welcoming, a male nurse came to talk to me. he filled some forms in with me and made me feel at ease. all staff and other patients made my stay very comfortable.

over all care was excellent

the staff were excellent, very kind and caring and made you feel as though you were home and not in hospital. i cannot speak too highly of cookridge hospital.

the friendliness and caring attitude of all the staff.

everything very good

nursing care very good

the doctors were very caring

i thought the doctors where all very kind & thoughtful when i arrived in the ward.

i was treated most respectfully and shown every kindness.

i was take to st james hospital, when i fell down my bedroom steps. i was treated for a head wound had the best of care. i cannot thank them enough everyone was so kind. both doctors and nurses.

very nice and clean, staff were very caring.

yes, the ways the doctor explained every step of my treatment.

good understanding of what was wrong with me.

very good nurses, patient and caring.

admission.

the dedication, hard work and care shown by both doctors and staff in ward 32 of lgi was by large first class.

the care and information that i received from the ward (55) that i was admitted onto was fantastic. i was made to feel comfortable and given regular updates about whether a bed had become available on my destination ward (57).

staff were very warm and welcoming.

staff in the kidney unit were very good, friendly, and the two consultant doctors were excellent, answered all my questions.

the consultant, macmillan nurses & general nurses are all excellent.

nice cheerful hospital in every aspect. i.e. doctors, nurses & staff, and the hospital in general.

as hospitals go i have always preferred saint james, the doctors and nurses have always made me feel well and have done what they could for me.

excellent nursing staff and brilliant surgeons.

most staff ready to help even when busy.

once they started looking after you, you feel a bit better you have to wait for hours to be seen.

having never been in hospital before the care and explanations that were given to me made me feel very safe. st james hospital is a hospital we should be prod of, all the staff from receptionists to the top people were great.

staff very friendly, but over stretched and over worked.

some of the nurses at ward 49 were very good and professional.

from my problem (heart by pass) being diagnosed the hospital and all its staff were excellent. special mention to mr (name) the surgeon.

good care from the staff.

i was grateful to the staff for seeing to me so promptly as i was very ill.

the nursing staff were excellent especially my key nurse. she answered most of my questions and queries so were the rest of the nursing team.

ward very clean. staff cheerful and pleasant.

all and everything which was done was good and all staff did their best.

friendly staff.

the transportation between hospitals.

that i should have seen a doctor that knew what was going on and listened to me.

i felt i got very good care during my stay.

they did their best in a very difficult situation.

i received all the care in hospital and will most likely be going back in the near future. i have no complaints.

overall it is a good hospital. very pleased with its outcome.

the nurses were very nice and understanding with all my illnesses, not just what i was admitted for.

yes, how the staff was very good at looking after me. thanks to all

mr (name) was looked after very well.

everyone i met was good.

i was looked after by the crisis (***) team very well.

food was very good and varied.

the nurses were very good. thank you.

how my surgeon had so much care for me, as several things and operations have gone wrong, he has been so understanding making time to look after me and talk to me.

i was impressed with the quickness the surgeon tried to fit in my operation before my holiday.

so far the care i received was very good.

i had a private room.

on the night of my surgery the short staffed night staff were excellent. my call button was not working & they kept a close eye on me, ( i needed a catheter plus my wound drain was not working).

i dont have problems with the hospital. the only complaint i have is waiting times for appointments after referrals from my gp. from being a youngster i have suffered with my ears, i received a letter saying i was on the list but no dates, this was 2 months ago, still no date yet.

they were good for looking after me, i felt easy with the care i received.

i was admitted twice in july, i went in one day & was told i was to go home the next day. i am diabetic & was put on nil by mouth twice from 12 midnight & by lunch time was discharged, the explanation was diabolical, i was very angry & i mad a scent.

the doctors & nurses were excellent, capable at reassuring.

the consultant was excellent at jimmys general & mental health side is good.

i was only in hospital for 48 hrs for a blood transfusion. i was treated very good & i have nothing but the best respect for the nurses who treated me.

staff always very friendly.

nurses & doctors did their jobs well.

cleanliness, and pleasantness of staff.

i am a cancer patient, i have nothing but praise for doctors and nurses at cookridge hospital, leeds.

pleasant doctors & nurses. tv and phone made my stay in hospital more comfortable.

no - a stay in hospital is never nice.

chapel allerton orthopaedic unit is excellent with excellent doctors & staff.

enjoyed hospital care when in for hernia operation.

the impression i got from my stay was that the only reason the doctors and nurses were there was to look after my welfare.

i was in a six bed ward and found the other patients quite friendly. i think it helped with my recovery all women of course.

comfortable, light & airy near window.

some of the nurses were quite helpful, most of the time. they always seemed to be short staffed.

all the doctors, nurse and staff were very friendly

nurses were very friendly & helpful. they understood.

cookridge cale hospital for cancer patients is wonderful. the staff are caring and the situation of the hospital is peaceful

the nurses were there if you needed them, even though there was not many of them. they were very friendly and helpful

the care i received from the hospital staff was very good & their attitudes made my stay much more pleasant

everything about my hospital care was very good.

i was only in for 1 day & night but while i was there, i received very good care.

got some sleep without being woken up with headache.

a well run hospital, as noted i could not have been treated any better. the nurses were clean, very polite and worked well together and the physiotherapists i saw were very understanding and helped a lot. overall a great team.

i just felt comfortable in the emergency department, as soon as i arrived at the ward i felt very lonely, as if there was no-one i could talk to.

everything was good.

all staff cheerful, helpful, pleasant and caring.

everything was nice & perfect except the emergency receptionist.

prompt attention, informative information, the staff looked clean i.e. uniforms.

the care i received when i was moved to the breast cancer unit was excellent, especially the nursing staff. my initial post operative care on the recovery ward was also very good.

breast cancer unit was excellent at providing information on all aspects of post operative care and counselling organisations. the ward had a homely dining room/day room. all nursing staff and ancillary staff put the patient first.

it was gratifying to experience dedicated public servants - nurses & doctors - working on the basis/needs/patients. no-one ever mentioned private care.

lack of personnel care and attention.

i thought the medical staff, were very pleasant and approachable.

i was made very welcome so that helped me not feel nervous. i dont normally like hospitals.

the hospital gave enough attention during my stay in the hospital, but it is regrettable to say that appointment given to me had a long time to wait, the patient like me can suffer a loss of health.

i was treated when i was told i would be and had no longer to wait and they did what they said they would.

the best care was by the ambulance crew.

the general care of the nurses and doctors.

i was well looked after and never left on my own from entry to hospital to leaving after the procedure. i had confidence in all the staff they were very professional.

as a cancer patient i received excellent care and am very grateful to have had such knowledgeable doctors and nurses looking after me.

the system of emergency admission at leeds general is excellent. i was immediately admitted to a medical assessment ward, and then transferred to the ward applicable to my treatment result. no stress no discomfort.

the surgeon & staff were very helpful to myself & husband.

i was treated with consideration by most staff, particularly nigh staff.

when they told me i could go home with a bag of drugs and one brown sealed envelope to my gp

i have always had excellent care.

the care from the staff.

all the nursing staff were excellent. they took time to talk to you, look after you & console you when you were feeling down.

everything about the cardiology ward i was in was first class, all the staff were wonderful, kind, helpful & attentive.

my treatment on my first day was painful but effective. my second visit & treatment because i didnt feel ill then, was better & very successful.

they saved my life with their fast & prompt attention.

doctors ok. nurses ignored my requests for a bath repeatedly after my operation, & left me in a dirty & smelly condition & told me not to get up & bathe alone.

the catering staff tried very hard to alleviate the occasional slip up in providing me with a gluten free meal. most of the nurses were very helpful.

the care i received was excellent.

just as you would expect it to be when youre in hospital.

quite good care from all staff.

since my operation there have been other treatments 1) chemotherapy 2) body scan attempted.

nurses and doctors were wonderful. delightful bedside manner from doctor and very caring nurses, cannot fault.

i was offered a private room so that i could recover better.

very clean good nurses and staff.

i am confident that the care i receive (from staff i now look upon as close friends) on my next admission will be just as pleasant as were the last 16.

mostly staff were very caring.

i had the very best of care from everyone.

mum is 88 and has short term memory loss & is very deaf. i was impressed with how she was treated, the staff always tried to speak directly to her, bending down to speak loudly right next to her & telling her all the things they were asking me.

medical & paramedics were excellent. the time between arriving at hospital & being admitted was spent giving ecg/chest x-ray/blood test & iv fluids etc, so i was not left waiting on a trolley.

i felt that i was never ignored, in fact, nurses often enquired on how i was feeling. possibly due to the fact that i was on an observation/assessment ward.

i had a great time.

i was seen straight away in a&e then on a ward for five days, with good care & afterwards with the cardiac nurses & physio rehab, it was great. my consultant explained everything very well.

L2 - Was there anything that could have been improved?


food it was always cold, even tea and coffee (i was quite a bit away from the kitchen and i think to be fair, the kitchen staff should start at the other end. this would every one a chance of having something hot.

the way nurses treat patients.

i think the rooms could have been cleaned more thoroughly. sometimes the surfaces were barely wiped, bucket or mop was left in the room the whole time.

i was satisfied with my stay.

the emergency (ae) attitude was diabolical when my husband asked for my collar fracture to be seen to urgently, he was told to sit down and await our turn.

meals, definitely.

the quality of hospital food was disgusting. especially breakfast cold hard toast that was supposed to be a hearty breakfast!!

more staff. toilets needed cleaning more regular. a dirty plaster was on the toilet floor for 2 days (not cleaned away). cleaners & dinner ladies need training to wear plastic gloves.

yes, the waiting time i had to wait 6 weeks to be admitted owing to the power cut, what occurred just as they were to take me down to theatre.

cleanliness, the side room smelt musty, the toilet smelled of stale urine, and to say that the ward, etc, was closed on the wednesday for cleaning, i was in on thursday, but there was a two day old paper under the bed & a dusty floor. this floor had not been mopped correctly. some pieces of furniture had been mopped around rather than moved and mopped then put back.

i have to wait 10 weeks for my results, after been told it would be 3 weeks. meanwhile, the problem continues and affects my work, my social life etc.

food.

i had a barium x-ray in january, week later registrar said they had found a pulp on bowel wall, which would have to be removed waiting time approx. 4 weeks. 6 months later my appointment cancelled, no bed finally got in after 7 1/2 months. i went down for procedure, i was told nothing but on saturday i was given a letter for gp on discharge. i went to see my gp who told me they could not find any pulp no one told me this at hospital.

not on the admission.

pillows, not enough to go round. some people like more than 1-2. over blanket could be improved.

the food, although good was over cooked & dry by the time it reached the wards.

liaison between doctors & nurses (communication poor). greater supervision of night staff. less number of doctors involved in my care during my stay. train/educate non-nursing staff.

out-patients could take up to 5 hours, but i could only be seen by a doctor for 10-15 minutes.

maintenance of bedside cabinets etc. (drawers and wardrobe).

the food could be better, but i was in because of a heart attack not for the meals.

yes, friends & family telephoned every day, but i felt they didnt care as messages were not passed on by the staff to me.

after my procedure i had to be up dressed and out of the ward by 8am as it was a day case ward. i found that a bit stressful after being in hospital for ten days. i realise the beds were needed for other patients coming in, but after having a heart attack i felt rushed so maybe there could be a bit more consideration give to patients going home after a procedure.

some of the wards and buildings are far too old and not enough beds for people.

public telephones for general use. newspapers, staff are not allowed to bring items other than medical, one has to constantly remind staff. one famous excuse (ill be back), nobody comes.

transport arrangements, confirmation of booking would be appreciated.

staff nurses and auxiliaries poor.

i was in the old part of the hospital, the ward did not compare with wards in the new section. likewise with toilet and bathroom facilities, very old and inadequate.

my only criticism is of the food. the menus looked very appetising but i suspect the food was kept heated too long, by the time it got to the wards everything was congealed and overheated thereby making it almost inedible, at least for me.

the time that i had to wait before they operated on my back.

however, this also had its down side as the nurses tended to treat the main ward first and on one occasion i was completely ignored for almost a whole day, even the tea lady walked straight past and i had to get out of bed to ask for a drink.

standard of food and catering. for a cardiology ward there was no appropriate diet for patients i.e. low fat, low salt, lot cholesterol.

the delay in deciding to operate, this led to two weeks off work.

no everything was just right.

when an elderly patient had an accident in the toilet it was not cleaned up so was walked in by all other elderly patients over the ward, therefore increasing cross-contamination, even when it was reported to staff.

staff who bang doors in the night & delivery vehicles were very noisy.

the cleanliness in the ward. there were bloodstains on right side of bed on the floor. i told a nurse, she said she would have it cleaned, but it was still there when i left.

yes - parking facilities. absolutely horrendous.

time in hospital waiting for appointments! the worst part is having to wait longer than your appointment time. sometimes it could be 2 hours. i think if your appointment is for 1.30, a reasonable time to wait would be 30 minutes. people get very upset and have to wait too long.

ward cleaning, they never went into any corners.

i always (***) that everything that can be done to a patient is done and doctors and staff leave nothing that is possible undone.

a method needed to improve the time between discharge and getting your pills from the pharmacy.

not enough staff and if you spoke to one nurse by the time she came back another nurse who was not looking after me came and i had to explain everything again.

general ward hygiene. standard of food.

bed availability. a few weeks ago i was to be admitted & had to phone about a bed. i was told there wasnt one available & i would be contacted in 28 days or so. that is too long. the next bed available should be given to the patient concerned. in the end i was admitted through a&e as i was so ill. the bed situation definitely needs improving.

liaison between doctors & nurses. was a ""lodger"" & nurses were unaware of conditions & surgery & aftercare. appalling lack of cleanliness all round.

i remember the days of hospital matrons and would venture to suggest hospitals in general would benefit for their return to the system and thereby improve the public opinion of our nhs. secondly, one good meal a day is sufficient for most, instead of the present system.

more staff. better food.

waiting in emergency dept for a bed. i waited for 4 hours.

more nurses.

i am not going to sign it, you might pull me in. by the way please, ask for me, prof (name) relations were badly affected in the recent tragedies. i have just learned that morely hard of hearing centre is being closed down. i will be calling on the ambulance service more often. i cant walk 20 yards.

visitors were sitting on the beds, no beds pulled to ward centre for floor or wall cleaning. in short nobody gives a damn. there are too many chiefs and not enough indians. bring back matron.

car parking for any visitors patients have is very limited indeed.

bed organisation on arrival, co-ordination not too good.

sometimes given contradictory information.

putting a catheter in the vein from doctors and nurses.

food, some food was bland, overcooked and tasteless, but not all.

staffing problems.

waiting for treatment. drugs to come from pharmacy could be hastened. because of this delay, i was still on treatment at 11.45pm despite being admitted at 9am.

the food needs urgent attention.

move the hospital to somewhere with a car park!

there are always improvements to be made wherever you are, but no glaring errors more importantly. more through communication would be a bonus, however it did take 6 weeks to diagnose my condition.

the bedside tv & telephone service was too expensive and the tv could do with sky programs

hospital old, and closing soon, so update on furniture and decoration pointless

the domestic staffs attitude to basic needs e.g. toast i requested for breakfast, i never received

before my procedure a doctor came to take blood, did n