York Hospital

We live in the USA and hear horror stories about the NHS regularly. We had to visit A and E at York on a Friday night and received quick, comfortable and friendly treatment there and on the urology ward for 2 days afterwards. Many thanks to all you the tough work you do. It is very much appreciated.

I had to go to A and E on a Saturday morning in awful pain. The staff were amazing,kind, caring and sensitive to my needs and feelings. Within a short time I felt so safe and in such good hands I could relax and felt less worried. Thankyou all for your kindness and expertise.

I saw a Dr Cheng at my neurological appointment for the first time, without a doubt the best specialist I've ever seen, he made direct eye contact at all times, he explained the process I would be going through slowly and in a way I could understand. Having seen lots of specialists over the years it was refreshing to find one that has a great bed side manner, he is a great example of what the public are looking for when nervous and stressed about there problems they are facing, I can not thank him enough.

Overwhelmed, underfunded, understaffed. My first appointment at the surgical assessment unit for a cyst on my tailbone was a test of endurance - sat for 4.5 hours only for the surgeon to tell me it's too early to drain it, and a sinus removal would be unnecessary or potentially dangerous. That's 4.5 hours spent *sitting* with a condition where I really shouldn't have been. Then I never got to the second visit. The GPs at the Dalton Terrace Surgery kept sending me in circles. Then when I finally contacted the hospital myself after the cyst seemed unmanageable anymore, they told me the SAU could not accommodate my inability to sit, adding that I needed a referral to get to the SAU. I guess their own surgeon telling me to return without queue when my cyst forms a head was not enough. Sick joke. They then directed me to the A&E, saying they might also not have beds, and the waiting time is unclear, as the hospital is 'incredibly busy' right now. The implication from the clerk was very much that my only option for lying down would be the floor, and she said directly that the A&E often had to resort to treating patients in the corridors of the ward due to lack of staff and space. I decided to stay at home. I cannot lie on the floor, I hurt my back that morning falling down a short flight of stairs. The staff here are nice at heart. They were very kind on my first visit, despite the shortcomings of the hospital. But the state of the NHS makes callous and indifferent bureaucrats of even the kindest people. I've been shoved around like an unwanted stray dog. I feel less like a man, and more like an animal. This hospital is in a poor state due to systematic shortcomings - there are too few doctors, too little funding, and the hospital serves too large of an area. There is no pit of hell deep and torturous enough for the rich suit-clad politicians who butcher the public healthcare service for their own gain while the common person suffers for it all. Do better, Britain.

Went to A&E by ambulance last week. Was there for 24 hours, sat on a chair all that time throughout the day & night. Was seen in about 4 hours by triage (and was told I was a priority) then waited for a Doctor, then waited for bloods & blood results. The blood results took anout 10 hrs. Then had to wait hours to get the intravenous bits out. Asked in the end can you take them out I need to go. No food offered all the time whilst there for me or my wife. I am a pensioner & my wife is in her 60's also. My wife was with me but had a broken toe & couldn't walk the 10 mins to a cafe. Offered 1 hot drink all that time. All on offer was a bag of crisps, left on a trolly and chocolate to buy from a vending machine on what was a very hot day. Was supposed to be under observation. No-one looked or came to me for over 8 hours whilst waiting (& supposedly under observation). People were everywhere on stretchers, in corridors & where we were in A&E, people in rooms sat up. They were not offered water, just 1 or 2 teas/coffee the whole day. People in those conditions should have regular water, regular checks. We had water & juice nearby but I couldn't feed everyone around myself on trolleys with water. Felt helpless & Hungry. Told someone later how hungry we were & they gave me a sandwich which I shared with my wife. Awful experience.