General Chat

I did nursing training in 1958 at Mayday hospital in Croydon. I don't agree with the idea that we need Matrons again. We were more afraid of the Ward Sister than the Matron. What we need now are ward sisters who show discipline and take a pride in 'their ward' and keep a strict eye on the care of the patients and the cleanliness of their ward. Stella

They have doubles the amount of managers in the nhs over the last 10 years, management feel they need to introduce more paper work as a way of justifying their jobs, the end result of this is that the nurses have to fill in the extra paperwork so that that managers can check this paper work, while the paperwork is great the care to the end user is being neglected, that is one problem, The other is that some people go to hospital for the most trivial things and also call 999 when they could see their own GP , I have known people call 999 because they wanted to get on the wards before lunch because they could not be bothered to cook their own dinner, these people who waste our taxes should have to pay the full cost that they impose on the health service Roy

I watched This Morning Tv. Fern Britton was interviewing Tony Blair, (she didn't pull any punches either!) When she asked about Admin staff to Nurse ratios he said they'd recruited an 'extra' 85,000 nurses. he also said there were now many matrons on the wards,when she questioned this he said 'well not at every hospital'. Then he went on to say 'not ALL hospitals are dirty'................. There shouldn't be ANY hospitals dirty!! My Father was in and out of hospital between 2000 and 2003 during all his strokes, and each time he contacted MRSA, the nurses were wonderful but some of the wards leaved a lot to be desired. My sister and I used to dust, and every day took home Dad's dirty washing. We didn't mind doing it for him,but, we took infected clothing back home in our cars. That wasn't right was it? Maureen

Maureen are you saying the nurses should have done his washing????? MRSA is everywhere, test any nurse and she will come up positive, but test her 1 hour after she goes home and showers and no trace the 'superbug' is only dangerous to people ALREADY vunerable it does not kill, it is just the final straw in a catologue of medical/surgical probs many visitors leaving hospital if tested in the car park will show traces on swabs i do wish the media would stop scaremongering bev

My dad was rushed to hospital in tha late 1950's with appendicitis. When he was recovering from his op we were allowed a short visit. The ward smelled strongly of antiseptic and later when I asked my mum what this was for she said it was normal in surgical wards to stop any infection. I also remember there was a cleaner permanently on the ward mopping the floor as soon as the visitors were leaving. Oh how times have changed - for the worse....?

Relatives have always done the washing. i was talking about the standard of nursing and cleanliness has dropped to zero and the old Ward Sisters and Matrons would not have stood for this...we never had that bug then...........There was the odd Staph Aureus, I think it was called and we reverse barrier nursed that patient.........Matron would have a blue fit if it happened......

My mum nursed at the end of the war, she ran away and joined the army to see the world, she has always said that there wasnt a sargeant born who was half as scary as a matron, or a ward sister who was displeased. When Matron did her rounds they had to hide in the sluice as they were not to be seen...too low a form of life...............Barbara...............

Hyah .... sitting here wondering who is in charge on the wards and why it should be down to one person ie Matron to make sure things are right. My husband died 3 years ago and was admitted via A & E in early hours and whilst the young male nurse was very nice and caring i still have the image in my mind of the dirty trainers he was wearing. then when my husbands death was only hours away was put in a side room that was dirty and nothing short of dickenson. The nursing staff very apologetic. Last Saturday whilst driving by Bradford Royal Infirmary saw a nurse coming off shift with uniform on and a not very clean anorak on. I had major surgery in January this year and i was one of the fortunate ones to have it done in the private sector on the nhs (that does not mean i agree with it) the whole experience was how nhs hospitals used to be. Immaculately clean, yes Matron checking and boy you could tell who she was. Never once did i feel at risk re infections .... i just so wish everyone got this type of care within the nhs sorry mr blair it does not exist ... and yes have been in hosp in last year as nhs patient and left lot to be desired.

No sorry Bev I was not saying that I thought the nurses should have done any washing of patients' clothes! Did I say that ?? No I didn't! There were always ( where i have lived anyway) hospital laundries that coped with bedding etc.etc. I have had very many members of my family in hospitals over the years,some seriously ill and no-one was ever given clothing to take home. We took Dad's in the car,what about people who use the buses. I take your point about various strains of MRSA and how it affects different folk, but don't blame the media,i know they often jump on the bandwagon when reporting things,but they also keep us informed. I'm not scaremongering just stating how 'some hospitals are badly run. Don't take my thread to heart,I am on the side of the nurses,i did say nurses were wonderful. Incidently i have a number of friends and neighbours who are in the profession,I think they do a good job. Maureen

C*me and play on the fence girls......Chill...

maureen its ok hospitals nowadays do not have washing facilities it is all sent out and that costs so noe all personal laundry is sent home with rellies, if a patient has no rellies then the social worker deals with it which means the patient is usually charged

Didn't know that Bev. thanks for info. I'm still living in the past i guess lol Mau X

Er perhaps this may seem innapropriate, however back in the late 1970's the QEH in Birmingham nurse ****** couldn't possible reveal the name, I think she's a cheif exec now. Sorted out all of my ailments, probl'y just a nurse thing.

what about personal hygiene? My aunt was in hospital for six weeks and I 'phoned my 82yr old uncle just before she was due home. He was so pleased but what he said next made me want to weep. Aunt has dementia and apparently no one had washed her hair in six weeks and her nails were black. He was frantic to have her home so that the carer could clean her up.

Sometimes you have to put your point of view Polly, doesn't mean you want to fall out with someone. Anyway sitting on fences means you might get a spelk up your bum LOL Mau X

I think nursing is like a lot of professions. You get the odd rotten apple that gives all the rest a bad name. Most nurses I know are really dedicated people but I do know one personally that is an absolute disgrace and these are the ones that drag down all the good ones.

We had a laundry at the hospital and all bed linen and towels were washed there....Personal nightclothes were the relatives responsability, if they were really bad then we, the nurses would wash them...Not that we had to, but we did..