HAVING just spent 16 days in Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, let me give our Health Secretary some advice. The NHS is said to have been given millions more in funding than under the previous government, but it certainly is not reaching the sharp end of treatment and nursing.
The staff can only be described as wonderful. Money is being spent on providing 'locums' because there are too few NHS staff. Morale must be low due to restrictions on nurses' pay. One nurse described Theresa May as "a wolf in sheep's clothing".
They cope with a massive workload and simply do not have the numbers to provide the care they would wish.
Yet they do go out of their way to improve life for their patients. An example of this was on my 85th birthday. I was unable to eat and was linked up to various feed and medical tubes. They told me I could have my family visit in the day room instead of the ward. At just after 7pm I was taken through, seated in a chair and given a home-made paper hat. My wife and daughter were then escorted in and were met with a group of patients and staff. I cut the jelly and ice cream 'cake'.
Photos were taken which were then printed as a gift to us. What a wonderful gesture by busy staff. How can I possibly thank Ward 10 staff enough?