You can’t recover in hospital

[Schuyler]

I’m not complaining about the care which has been exceptional. I just think the environment is not conducive to recovery. Unfortunately, I’ve been admitted to 5 different hospitals over the last few years and I’ve seen the same thing in all.

The temperature is unstable - either far too hot or far too cold.

The food can be virtually inedible. It is certainly not nourishing! Longish admissions mean I work my way through the menus. I’m fortunate to have almost daily visitors who can bring me food but many people don’t have this luxury. If you’re taken for tests when the food arrives, you might end up with cold food or melted ice cream.

It’s noisy and impossible to sleep and too bright. I understand why they need some lights on and obviously they can’t help beeping and confused people calling out.

I don’t think there’s a real answer but people look at me like I’m an alien when I tell them I tend to get better much quicker at home! AIBU?

On the positive side, I remember busting into tears after the birth of dc1, when the nurse brought me a mug of cocoa at bedtime - never has hot chocolate tasted so good

My DH was in last year for major cancer surgery. I was in there everyday from 8 am to ensure he did what he needed to to get discharged. I got him home in four days, so the poor guy could get some sleep and recover from the operation. The staff were fantastic and have saved his life but they make a great racket all night long.

I have only had to stay in once as an adult, it was awful (not the staff, they were largely very good).

ICU was okay as I had my own room, so I had two very peaceful days, but my son wasn’t allowed to visit and they thought I would be in ICU for at least a week so that was really distressing. I was nill by mouth, so food wasn’t a problem.

I was then moved to HDU, it was awful. The ward was very noisy as there were a lot of confused elderly people, one who shouted all night and snored all day.

The guy in the next bed swore all day and ‘forgot’ that curtains weren’t soundproof when saying awful things about us when my son visited, luckily he was on 2 so had no idea what was being said. I genuinely threatened to murder him in the night, I told the night staff and they thanked me!

The food was awful, I can’t have dairy, I also have a very severe kiwi allergy and I have type 1 diabetes. The only thing I could safely eat was dry brown bread, so my then boyfriend had to bring food in everyday.

I wasn’t allowed to manage my own insulin, so I had multiple hypers as nursing staff just didn’t have the time to test me on schedule.

I had an open wound after an appendix op went wrong, I ended up discharging myself still wearing a wound pack as I couldn’t stand another minute in there. Oddly enough being able to eat, sleep, control my blood sugars and not be called all sorts by my neighbour helped me heal, funny that!

Sod prison as a punishment, just send people to hospital instead!

@Walnutwhipster
For unclear reasons, I seem to often be “with it” in ICU. I’m unconscious for the initial critical stages though which, you’re right, is worse for others. I just find it so distressing.

@SimonJT

“Sod prison as a punishment, just send people to hospital instead!”

So true! The worse the crime, the bigger the hospital ward they have to stay in.

I also have time critical meds and it massively matters when not on time. It’s not a case of pain, I need them to control my condition. Self medicating seems to help but they don’t always let me. I know they’re very busy so I don’t complain but it does hinder my recovery.

Actually Venus - that was the plan. The palliative and community were going to care for her at home, only she didn't get home. To me it seems a no-brainer for the very elderly; they said it's cheaper too, it should be rolled out everywhere.

@Spaceprincess Normal catering is but they give you special menus!

I've had four spells in hospital this year, one scheduled for surgery, the rest emergencies. It is pretty hellish: inconsiderate fellow patients, awful food (although I wasn't able to eat most of the time), noisy visitors who stayed way beyond official times and were never chucked out. Uncomfortable beds, horrible hospital blankets! But on the whole, the care from all staff was very good, some of the nurses were really kind and compassionate. I was desperate to get out every time and hope I never have to stay in again.

I was admitted to hospital earlier this year and it was awful. I was exhausted and cranky, and I felt so unwell, and I’m absolutely certain I wouldn’t have felt that unwell at home. Food was appalling - I was meant to avoid too much fat, which was almost impossible - and the noise was constant. Bright lights on in the ward until gone midnight.

At one point I was told I must not try to get out of bed at all and to ring for a bedpan if I needed it. Trouble is, I’d just had abdominal surgery so I couldn’t lift my hips to get on the bedpan. So I pissed the bed. Twice. Then had to get out of bed for them to change the sheets 🤷‍♀️ they still argued when I asked them for a commode though.

Worst night of my life.

My other complaint about the food is that if you’re experiencing gastric issues, it’s useless. The IV antibiotics I usually am given always result in the worst diarrhoea and I’m constantly nauseous. I might order a jacket potato with tuna and sometimes, I get the components separately as I don’t want butter or even the topping, just the potato. The other day, it came caked in butter already. My system can barely tolerate water but I need to eat plain foods. Even the soups are greasy. I mean, it’s fine for me because I have visitors who bring food but I worry about those who don’t. :(

I've had a few inpatient stays in hospital in the last few years, and I can tell you the one thing that makes the biggest difference is a private room! I spent a week on the respiratory ward in Tunbridge Wells hospital and it was actually restful. TV (free, not one that you have to pay an extortionate amount for) and en suite shower/toilet room. Food wasn't the worst, but there were places downstairs I could get food if need be, they hooked me up with portable oxygen so I could get up and about. The best bit was they let me have DH and DCs in with me basically as much as I wanted. I got awfully tearful when they said I had to stay at least a few days because I was desperately missing them. I think they're probably not used to having young people with families on the ward, as it seems respiratory is almost exclusively elderly people. I felt really taken care of and it made a horrible experience much easier.

Sadly, the next month I ended up at East Surrey hospital in Redhill, which is as close to hell as I've ever been.

It may seem trivial but when I was on a cardiac ward all the tea and coffee was decaf. Yet on the other wards there was no decaf so I got no hot drinks.

Interesting comments about a private room as while it definitely does solve many of my gripes, I didn’t have a great experience in side room a few months ago. I seemed to have been forgotten about a bit and I was too poorly to get up and ask and I got worse before I got better which meant a longer stay.

@Schuyler. I'm glad ICU is hazy at best. I agree with the food. This is probably very outing but I had my entire stomach and duodenum removed so I spend a ridiculous amount of time on gastro wards. One thing our local hospital has if you have eating issues is a snack menu. You only get it if you need the extra calories and they don't make it public knowledge but it has lots of goodies you wouldn't expect on it.

I have recently came out of hospital (thrice) and I had no issues. At 10PM, the lights go out and everyone to sleep. The nurses/HCA obviously go round doing their obs/meds, but they do is as discreetly as possible and use a torch if they need to see anything. Obviously you do get a little disturbed if you have to get your blood pressure monitored but can easily drift back off to sleep. Temperature I found was fine too. Not too hot and not too cold. The food I have no complains either! The portion sizes are a little bit small, but fruits you get from family members can fill you up and tea time I always order a jacket potato with a couple of fillings and a pudding for after.
Of course being at home is better but if you are poorly and there's a risk your health will take the wrong turn then being in hospital and even perhaps getting disturbed now and again is better for you and your health in the long run.

Of course being at home is better but if you are poorly and there's a risk your health will take the wrong turn then being in hospital and even perhaps getting disturbed now and again is better for you and your health in the long run.

YOu had a good experience, though. Plenty of people have not. It's not just 'getting disturbed now and again'.

timshelthechoice I left hospital with PTSD & PND, the next week my blood pressure was so high they wanted me back in hospital, I was so hysterical that my GP agreed to treat me at home, I had district nurse & midwives calling every day & my GP every evening for at least 10 days. I have never been so grateful to anyone like I was to that GP, he was a hero. I still get nightmares now around ds birthday of being in hospital & ever since if I have needed to be in hospital have used NHS choices to be admitted to a local private hospital where I can have someone like my mum or late partner with me 24/7.

Agree. Dd was in for a week last year and it was horrendous. Inedible, unhealthy, salty food that made airplane food look gourmet. Constant lights, noise, heat, rounds. At least 4 teams coming to see her at various godawful times. Impossible to sleep. Even with a private room we were begging to go home.

@GrannySquares

My experience isn’t with torches and lights off. I should’ve taken a photo of how I was trying to sleep last night. The staff were so lovely and kept me company, chatting when I was awake but it’s not conducive to recovery.

I have a chronic condition and can spend a lot of time in hospital. Sometimes it’s very cautious and I probably could be at home. Plus, my experience is that it’s more than being disturbed “now and again”. It’s constant. :( not blaming the staff who are great and jolly me along when im sad and tired.

I've been in hospital twice recovering from
C sections, and I got myself out there ASAP. It's a horrid environment (as much as the nurses are amazing)

Nightshift swap over saw nurses loudly talking about Nandos and asking each other to buy scratchcards when one of the ladies had pressed her buzzer for the loo at least five minutes beforehand. I dread to think what happens that nobody ever sees. Total lack of manners, compassion and common sense.

Just awful

YANBU.

Being woken up hourly for obs is a special form of torture, which resulted in really vivid dreams that I was being woken up for obs - so vivid that I'd wake up due to the dream and lose even more sleep.

Beds that are dreadfully uncomfortable due to the effects of other physical health problems (and a refusal to acknowledge that problem A can affect a person even though they're only in to be treated for problem B)

Insufficient pain meds, even when requested repeatedly and in agony

Crap food - last hospital admission they came around and asked if I wanted chicken or beef. When I asked for the vegetarian option they said no one had told them there was a vegetarian on the ward... No one had asked me about anything dietary either! Thankfully I was discharged just as they were scratching their head about what to do with this exotic dietary requirement.

I was in hospital for 3 weeks following the birth of my twins last month. I was really worried about what it would be like after all the horror stories I’ve read on here.

As I’d had twins I was given a side room and the twins were in incubators in my room with me. We were cared for by a midwife, 2 nursery nurses and an MCA. They helped as much, or as little, as you needed them to. They were polite and pleasant on the whole and, the one person who was an issue, was not allocated us after a complaint was made. Drs were also happy to discuss and agree plans with us as patients/parents and work at our pace.

The ward was busy but not unnecessarily so; partners and children of patients had unlimited access to the ward but other visitors were restricted to 4-7pm daily. Some patients had more than 2 visitors at a time but staff did tell them to leave when they disturbed others on the ward. There were no TVs on the ward so no loud programmes on all day and night.

Food was from a menu of maybe 12 options daily and, when served, was hot and generally well presented. If you couldn’t get to the dining room they would bring it to the bedside. There were snacks (sandwiches, salads, cheese & biscuits, fruit, yoghurts & jellies) available 24/7 and staff came round with hot drinks 3-4 times a day with cakes or biscuits plus they were available at mealtimes.

The bathrooms were clean, no blood or urine to be seen. Cleaners were present throughout the day/evening and kept the place looking immaculate. The temperature was neither stifling or cold and there were windows that you could open to allow some fresh air in.

I left hospital feeling able to cope at home and not needing to recover from the experience!! I realise this is unusual but does show some NHS hospitals can, and do, get it right.

Hospital is a special kind of hell. you don’t get any more than 20 sleep in one go, constant light on and nobody cares about visiting hours. horrendous

@Rememberallball in the uk? you had a luxury experience. reality is more 2 pieces per toast per day count as food, you get woken every 20 minutes, and can’t shower for days (as the only shower is also the visitor loo, so always busy). horrible