James Cooper

Review of NHS Manchester Royal Infirmary

I was referred to the Maxillofacial department as ...

I was referred to the Maxillofacial department as I had a submandibular abscess. From going to casualty, I had been seen by a doctor, x-rayed and had bloods taken within an hour and a half. I had a wait of about another hour for a bed, which was found for me on the vascular ward. This is a more modern part of the hospital, and very nicely equipped. The following morning I was sent for surgery. And spent another 2 nights on the ward.

Throughout my stay I was very well informed about what was happening and treated well by all the staff. The surgery went well and the Maxillofacial team checked up on me daily.

Outside of medical care, the catering staff provided nice meals, the roast beef dinner is good and I also recommend the shepherds pie. Hot drinks were also provided by the cheery staff. The ward was also spotlessly clean and kept that way during my stay.

On a separate note all the staff were very busy, and often they had to prioritise patients needs. This isn't the fault of the staff or even the hospital; it's symptomatic of an organisation that is underfunded and overstretched. This is political and if you have experience busy staff then perhaps it should influence how you vote.

However, it is a tribute to the professionalism of the staff at the hospital that they maintain the levels of care that they do.

So to summarise I arrived ill, and left feeling better. And I didn't have to worry about the cost of treatment. The NHS is still one of the wonders of the UK