I've never been to the hospital- I knew the old one fairly well as I used to sell equipment to hospitals. I heard that the new one has fewer beds than PMH which despite the advances in day surgery and so on seems amazingly short sighted. Unfortunately, the press tend to focus on negative issues, so if you relied on what you read or see on the TV, it probably will not show it in the best light.
By the way, what's happening with the new developments at Savernake Hospital?
I have certainly had experience of the Great Western Hospital - and it was very different from that which I expected. The care I had was second to none - the nurses were wonderful and the medics so highly skilled as well as kind.
The bad part of the experience was food that smelled and tasted really horrible. I later gathered that it was not cooked on the premises but by a company over the other side of the UK. It was "dolloped" on to plates and generally looked like an accident that had happened. I complained as soon as I was strong enough - the problem is, with food that is so bad, your recovery is slowed down, you are unable to take your drugs properly and your morale hits rock bottom. I made quite a fuss about it, but gather from other patients that it has definitley improved.
Hi Jeremy - the "new" Savernake Hospital is due to be fully opened again at the end of May. I think you can find news of it on the Kennet & North Wilts PCT website
Most of the care I received from the GWH was good ...but there were a few BAD nurses, very sarcastic...I would even go as far as saying in some cases cruel, the Night shift was the worst, where care was very poor...you could ring the buzzer for over an hour before being told "we are too busy you will have to wait" which as you can imagine with drips in both arms and various drains, oxygen etc did not make life easy if you urgently wanted the loo...........and on to the food someone said it was "quite good" God knows what they eat at home! I thought it was me so I forced my wife to try some and she spat it back on the tray! I had cottage pie one night and the next pork and tomatato ....they both tasted the same ....I liked the sound of lemon bread and butter pudding with custard ....turned out be two slices of dry bread with sultanas between them and some very watery custard poured over never did find where the lemon went ...I have a thought as the same company does the canteen downstairs perhaps they should be made to serve the same food there as well ....the place would be empty in a week.
So there you are, not a good experiance, but I was lucky, I managed fight and con my way out quickly...had I have been in longer my recovery would have taken longer if nothing else the feeling of total despair would have brought me down
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I have never been taken as an in-patient, but both myself and my husband have had day visits. Both were excellent. I am very grateful for having Savernake Hospital so close however. It has been much easier going there for small, non serious incidents than having to go all the way to Swindon where it would be so much busier...I hope Marlborough will always have this facility
I've only been once and as an outpatient. I turned up early expecting to battle for a car parking space but got one straight away. Arrived at the clinic 15 minutes early, was seen straight away and was back in my car 5 minutes before the appointment was meant to happen. Amazing
The downside is that I'd expected to have to wait hours and so had bought a 3 hour parking ticket .... now why can't they let you pay on exit like many car parks do
