We have a great hospital in Kings.....

[DJKillaQueen]

Tonight I broke my wrist in a cycling accident and was taken to Kings.

Often people only post when there is something to complain about but I wanted to say how excellent my experience was tonight. I had to wait the average time, that's to be expected, but the level of care, and friendliniess of the staff I saw was excellent. I was given painkillers while I waited and then when my x-ray arrived, the doctor and nurse chatted with me about the break and the treatment options. Their priority was to make sure that the break would be re-aligned properly and that my hand/ wrist will heal to a full recovery. TM I will see a consultant surgeon to reset the bone.

That may be what we'd all expect from a hospital, but there are so many places where that level of treatment is not available, unless you can pay for it personally. I came away thinking how lucky I was to live so near to such a great hospital, for that treatment to be without charge, and to be seen by doctors and nurses who cared about giving my arm the best chance of recovery possible.

There may be many things to criticise about the NHS......but there are many more things to be proud of imo.

[Frankito]

Sorry to hear you broke your wrist - ouch! :(

[EDmummy]

I'm also a fan of Kings and sent them an email of thanks after some diagnostic testing recently. It is passed to the team/s involved and they really appreciate it. Watching 24hrs in A&E on Channel 4 on Wednesdays has certainly made me aware of how difficult their job is.

Good luck with your recovery.

[Otta]

There is a nice thread in the family room praising the staff at Kings, but it's great to see a non baby related thread in the main section.

People are so quick to have a dig at our amazing FREE health care, and okay, it's not perfect. But in Kings, we have a top hospital, with top staff.

Sorry to hear about your wrist... Hasn't stopped you typing though ;-)

[Ridgley]

A part from there A & E they are ok I prefer St Thomas Hospital they a bit quicker there.

[Ladygooner]

Great typing with one hand btw! Great TV programme on Kings A&E - all the staff look lovely! Not a job I would want to do

[Twirly]

Sorry to hear about your arm, but what a lovely post, so nice to see something positive :)

Hope you have a full and speedy recovery.

[dbboy]

I can't praise King's enough for the care and professionalism they have been giving to a family member initially as an inpatient and currently as an outpatient, and in particular the consultants. Also the District Nurse has been wonderful always going the extra mile in providing care.

[PeckhamRose]

It was her typing hand too, so either she is on very good strong painkillers, or that post took two hours.

I am off to get BIG cake DJKQ, see you later!

PS to all the above and anyone else. DO please consider becoming a MEMBER of the Kings COllege Hospital Foundation Trust. Details on the webpage.

[Frankito]

I doing my neighbourly bit here DJ and offering to pop to the shops for you if you need anything.

[Marlene]

I did not have a good experience at St. Thomas where they caused me serious health problems recently. I would not praise them at all for what they have done to me. Not all nurses and doctors are the same, but there are a lot of incompetent people in the NHS.

[Salsaboy]

The trouble with the NHS is that it is too big. There are layers and layers of admin to be got through for even the smallest of things. My O/H is a specialist nurse consultant at Princess Royal in Bromley and although she is head of a department she is not even allowed to request items such as printer cartridges. She told me recently that she spent an entire morning walking round the hospital looking for one she could steal from another printer.

It's not the staff at the hospitals, although you do get the odd one, it's the system that is at fault.

She had to choose yesterday between cancelling the paediatric cancer operating list or the adult cancer operating list due to lack of nurses.

What a way to run healthcare.

[Dulwichmudlark]

Kings rocks my son was born there 3days ago couldnt have been mOre helpful

[zeban]

More praise for Kings from me. I had to have some surgery there and the staff were sooo lovely.

[DJKillaQueen]

Thank you everyone for the kind messages and thank you Frankito for the very kind offer of shopping. I have several neighbours that are covering that one for me.

I am fully expecting to develop new muscles in my typing hand over the next six weeks Ladygooner and I was seen by one of the nurses featured in the A+E doc too.

My treatment today took just 90 minutes to process and I chose a blue cast, being an Everton lassie. Again, fabulous personnel and treatment (and it didn't hurt too much either).

Of course there are problems with parts of the NHS but I think Kings stands out as a hospital that is very good at so much of what it does.

[Townleygreen]

Hope you are soon fully recovered, DJKQ.

It's nice to have such a positive post - thanks!

[Applespider]

Sorry to hear about your accident DJKQ but glad that you're on the road to recovery. Don't let it put you off getting back on your bike in the future. Thankfully I've not yet needed to use Kings services but it is reassuring to hear positive stories.

And congrats dulwichbeekeeper too!

[iluvcake]

Get well soon DJKillaQueen!!

And thank you to everyone for all your praises .... I am a Nurse at Kings and it's really nice to hear all of your lovely compliments :)

[peterbeardsley]

yep, big up Kings each and every time...splendid knee op there and different gravy aftercare/physio

[Peckhamrye]

Kings has literally saved my life twice in the last two years - nurses and doctors all showed real dedciation and professionalism. Have also noticed steady improvement over last 10 years but fear for how the cuts will affect them.

[scotch]

Kings is my second home! I have a fantastic cardiology team looking after me and they really do go the extra mile. I have been admitted so many times to A and E and they too are just amazing . I know that I am so very fortunate to be under such a great hospital. I have visited several other hospitals both in the uk and abroad and nothing comes close to Kings. Staff work very long hours , deal with some very arrogant and rude patients and I can't praise them enough. Love them all and without their care, support and vast knowledge on hearts I may not be here today.

[jane1]

i love kings, that place has kept all my bits and bobs and my families bits and bobs going over the years, keep up the good hard work..............

[spark67]

Kings saved my life,h after 5 months of chemo was back at work within 2 months and two years later still in remission with fantastic aftercare and monitoring.

My step dad was recently diagnosed with a serious blood disorder that can lead to leukemia he has to be given platelets every two weeks. He was treated at the UCLH they said a bone marrow might offer a cure but they couldn't offer him one because of his age and gave him around 5yrs with his condition. He had a 2nd opinion at kings...and with in 4 weeks as been offered a transplant to take place in september, they have been nothing but positive.

[philip walker]

In 2005 I went to Kings with pain in my stomach, and was sent home having been told I had wind and that if the pain was still there in 24 hours to call my GP.

I remember little of what happened next but the sequence of events seems to be:

Was taken home by partner, within a few hours I was unconscious

Taken back to Kings via ambulance and operated on within 40 minutes (Laparotomy), a burst duodenum ulcer is found

The delay in my initial treatment meant I had developped septicaemia and my pancreas was damaged

5 hours in theatre fixing my gut up and removing half my pancreas

2 weeks in intensive care

Followed by 2 weeks on a normal ward, where I contracted MRSA. I can remember this bit, particularly the blood splatter up the Walls in my isolation room and the filth hanging down from the ventilation vent. I also remember my catheter bag being so full, despite my shouting and begging for it to be emptied but being ignored by the nurses who mostly I could not understand what they were saying. I was so full it fell off the clip onto the floor and half came out, with the baloon inflated. It wasn't until my partner came in and found me in agony and covered in my own urine that they came to sort it out.

If I have to drive past that place, I feel physically sick. Their misdiagnosis very nearly killed me. Again every time I look down at the 9 inch scar on my stomach I remember the appalling care I had at Kings and how lucky I am to be alive. No thanks to KCH.

[Alex K]

I'm proud to be at King's, to work at King's.

**Note: My affiliation does NOT mean that in this on-line posting I write, or "speak", in any official way for the hospital or for the Trust.**

I know that we who work there make mistakes -- but I also believe that each mistake recognised at King's is cause for sorrow and, I trust, for learning. I am confident that King's gets more right than wrong.

Nothing is all good or bad. King's is excellent, in parts; and it tries, I think, to do better wherever it can.