"The care we received was nothing short of exemplary"

My teenage daughter attended A&E at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Glasgow suffering from chronic stomach pains and severe abdominal distension.  We were seen by Mr Bradnock, consultant paediatric surgeon, who organised tests and we were admitted to ward 2C for the night, awaiting investigative surgery the next day.  Following the surgery, performed by Dr Little and Miss Campbell, we were admitted to ward 3B where we would stay for 4 weeks prior to being discharged.  

The care we received during our stay was nothing short of exemplary.  Everyone we came into contact with was outstanding, both in their attitude towards and they care they offered to my daughter.  From the domestic staff, the play assistants, the nursing students, the nurses, medical students, doctors and consultants, they all played a part in making our stay as comfortable as possible in spite of the difficult circumstances.

The atmosphere on Ward 3B in particular is worth a mention as the staff there go out of their way to make a bad situation more palatable, always doing their job with a smile on their face and treating the young people with respect and courtesy.  

There are two things which could be improved:  Ward 3B has access to a small roof terrace through a door in the playroom.  Unfortunately this is not allowed to be accessed by patients and their families, which is a real shame.  The value of fresh air and getting a break from the ward, even just for five minutes to see the sunshine and sky cannot be underestimated. The ward is a long way from the exits downstairs which makes it physically impossible for someone attached to drips to get fresh air.

My daughter was confined to the ward for 3 weeks because of this - that’s a long time to go without a breath of fresh air and some Vitamin D.  A few benches is all you’d need to enjoy the space and it would be a very welcome extension to the playroom.

 Along the same vein, the parents’ room on the 3rd floor is in desperate need of some TLC.  It is a bit of a soulless, desolate room and with just a tiny bit of investment it could be spruced up to give parents somewhere comfortable to get a bit of respite.