Bed space

Well this is an experience of being the patient again when spent since 1978 being a nurse and midwife. Last time I was in Hillingdon was for my breast op and sepsis... But that was the point of this chest infection last Thursday I felt like the sepsis my body completely overwhelmed with infection and was starting going into shock.  My GP clicked into action got me nebulisers and rang medical team and ambulance.  The paramedics were brilliant and I  felt in safe hands while we blue light transferred to resus A/E.... The staff on duty were skilful and kind and some I have worked with so they were extra concerned it was me.  You can read more on the wider campaign issues on my Women's voices to be heard blog... and please sign my petition as all this is because I am on my low ebb with not eating good with benefits money breaks and not enough for cost of living.

Women's voices to be heard

But I am writing this blog post with the angle on the wards and bed space.  I have worked in many hospitals in the North of England in Leeds and Airedale.  Then worked in and around London.. I have also worked in the private arena.  
I have to say our local hospital like many hospitals needs a major upgrade. We are left with some old fashioned open wards with shared washing facilities and toilets and anyone needing a commode has only the fragile curtain between their personal privacy and the rest of the ward.  

There needs to space too between beds so folk do not feel on top of one another and the staff having to struggle giving cares in confined spaces....

I have to say the nursing staff on the ward where I am are full of love for their patients and their work with good clinical skills to make you feel in safe hands. Good nurses will shine in no matter the environment and resources available.  The sister has a good atmosphere of being organised with teams enjoying working for her and this is so important. It emits a caring healing space for patients to get well and rest.  Hospitals should be a healing sanctuary not a factory floor treating patients like parcels on a conveyor belt..... with government targets to be met it can cause a lot of pressure for throughput... but if you do not invest enough time with patient and allow for some recovery time... and if you do not get a good community care package together then patients come round into the system again - carousel patients... 

Working on wards with en suite single rooms gives some personal space and dignity for the patient.. or if you have two beds and en suite or four bed bays with en suite and masses of space it can help.... 

But being in communal space means you are at the mercy of what is happening to other patients... You may wish to be quiet but the others may have visitors or  be in pain or be complaining... There is an barrage of vibration coming from other patients situations and the logistics of their cares too... 

I have been so lucky with a lovely patient aside me and I feel privileged to have met her ... we get on really well.  But we are feeling the same it would be better if folk had personal space with a day room to mingle if desired and like on our post natal ward at Tommys a day room with information and space for patient teaching, support groups and empowerment.

The other point of being in an open ward is that you are on show if you want to sleep or just keep quiet.... I have cocooned myself with closed curtains at times of needing a sleep with busy ward of visitors.... 

We need a new hospital in Hillingdon as the tower is an eyesore in the borough and in need of repair.  There have been attempts to modify areas even a swish art filled new corridor from A/E to well not the wards but to other corridors that are quite frankly ugly with exposed pipes and wires...

It is vital to create a sacred healing space... and I feel the residents of the borough, the patients and the hard working caring staff need and deserve this... we have a lot of area to service and this includes cases from Heathrow airport... I am sure BAA would help to fund a new hospital and some of the local companies...

In the Nuffield hospital in Horsforth Leeds all the rooms had local business sponsors to generate the maintenance cost of the rooms and decor.  

Hillingdon is to expand its A/E but given that the A/E is a major portal of entry for the NHS an expansion must have the back up of ward and unit services.....

But where would a new hospital be... could the car park spaces now be rebuilt to units and with a plan for car park on top of building or underground... an engineer and architect issue.... Or does the NHS sell this land to be turned into flats and cash in on the off the plan sales from overseas.. use this revenue to shift to another site... My daughter was spotting some land near Stockley Park and this would be close to the M4 and M25.. for a trauma unit to be established.  At this point I must sing the praise of the London Air Ambulance that have high call outs for the Borough of Hillingdon so their cases will direct to the Royal London freeing up care in the local hospital.

Overall when we plan hospitals we need them to be a healing sanctuary with space to be and space for the staff to work in and cope with any emergency situation. 

So will we get a new hospital...