I WOULD like to be able to agree with Janet Whitlock about the general hospital (Echo, Oct 16, 'Cannot fault hospital).

I am afraid I can't, in spite of finding many good doctors nurses etc during my stay.

Alas, I met junior nurses who were very uncaring. They would chat loudly while standing near the beds of patients at night, making it impossible to sleep.

Sometimes I found the courage to ask them to be quiet. They resented this. On one occasion a senior nurse came and made them cease their chatter about their boyfriends or holidays or whatever (not their work, very often), the more senior nurses went about their night work quietly with consideration.

There is always noise in hospitals, of course, but please let it be for essentials. In any case it is very demoralising to lie in bed and have nurses chatting away next to you and ignoring you completely.

A friendly smile or a word would make such a difference to a patient.

I can never forget a cleaner who, knowing I liked it, always brought me orange juice with a smile.

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