Royal Surrey County Hospital - Guildford

Alan F (8210GUY)

I have seen this hospital go through so many changes well over 40+ years, and it's a very mixed feeling, in the early days when I had some health (I've a very rare type of Muscular Dystrophy, it just took 26 years to come out enough to notice), just cuts and breaks then, I even helped to build a part of the hospital.

But after I couldn't work, I have seen all aspects from the other side as well, there isn't an inch of my body that hasn't been scanned, and I've seen bits that you should never see, and it takes that one person to have seen that issue before they can figure it out, in my case it took 25 years to fully diagnose me due to how rare this is, but they got there, and all the time they are trying they are doing the best they can.

Anyone who thinks they have it easy has to go there over the nightshifts at the weekend, some of what they have to face is disgusting, personally I would kick such abusive patients instantly out, but they bend over backwards to help them even though they are not appreciated for trying, but there are also a set of staff who think they are above everyone else and lords it over the others and the patients, and some of it is warranted, and as they save lives they know how much they can offer people, so it's partly understandable, but one would always hope for a down to earth doctor, and there are many of them.

Then there is the dark side that hits the news once in a while, and most of the time you can appreciate why, if your loved one was left in a corridor etc it's just so wrong, but they don't do such things lightly, often it's a choice of send them home, which means they don't get the help they need, and sometimes die in worst cases (in ALL hospitals generally speaking), and it is despicable, but when the governments have driven them into the ground with underfunding, it can't be a surprise, hospitals say they need money, what happens, they send in a manager at who knows how many times the cost to find out what's going on, instead of giving them the money and letting the doctors use it where it's needed most.

If you have ever seen a war film in a triage tent with 50 or 60 doctors and nurses running around shouting at each other, and they get it right, that is not dreamt up by some writer, Xmas 2020 I was rushed into hospital twice, first time I had an Xray and some guy strutted up and said I had a right mess going on in there then sent me home, the GP instantly maxed out my Morphine without my even asking I was so bad, and got me a fast appointment for the pain clinic which is unheard of, 1 week later a 2nd ambulance rushed me in, and I actually saw what they show in the films, it was out of this world, and this time I had a cat scan, they found I had a ruptured gallbladder. and I was lined up for emergency surgery.

The surgeon gave me the "With all your other problems... etc, I had a high chance of not surviving the surgery, and all I could say was Win Win then, after he saw me in recovery and said if he operated 1 hour later, I'd have been dead, now I had the same doctor with me from going into theatre around 10am, right through to when she took me up to the ward at gone midnight, and she had to deal with family stuff as well, yet she stayed with me all that time, that is one very special kind of doctor.

Main thing to remember is this was at the height of Covid, I had robotic surgery, but this doctor had to suit up like Darth Vader and be next to me after the shield came down, that had to be so uncomfortable, and when she took me up to the ward, there were gurneys all around the lifts that got her to gasp, but as we went around the corner, the gurneys were lined up end to end all the way to the ward, and they were 3 deep, and it shook her, and yet she stayed there and took care of me the whole day, the hospital certainly has it's problems, but it also has a lot of exceptional staff who take all that is thrown at them, and they still keep doing that job, so don't add the bad times with the entire hospital, sometimes it's under orders, and\or restrictions from management.

Bob Daniels

The hospital has world class facilities and an incredibly dedicated staff at all levels. I have just come out after 9 days suffering from pneumonia. The medical team have very strong systems in place which work like clockwork.The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and very helpful at all levels in the organisation. My heartfelt thanks to the whole team

Zohaib Shabir

Excellent hospital, our experience in Maternity section was great & flawless. The nurses and mid wifes really took good care of my wife and baby, would keep check on them and look after them. You can press the buzzer for more help and they would arrive straightaway. After the birth of baby, the hospital staff will run further tests and keep an eye on mother too to make sure both are fine & doing well. 10/10, highly recommended. No wonder this hospital has been rated by the authorities the best in UK

andy parr

Excellent staff, very friendly and knowledgeable. They could answer all my questions, which were mainly about directions to wards and departments, as the sign posts around the whole site are awful. They need a complete rethink.

Rowan Moor

It is a maze and not easy to find where you are going. Unlike some other hospitals I know they haven't found a way to make that easy. The car park is far too small. Patient and family wellbeing seems to come a very long way behind the clinical care.

Jim Poyser

Once again the RSCH has treated me with dignity and respect. 24 hours in and out of A and E. Every Doctor , nurse, porter and care assistant I saw was exemplary. And every interaction I saw between them and other patients was the same. Thankyou for taking care of me and my family for the last 35 years. Same for all the Police officers I saw waiting with vulnerable adults who they were called to protect. The way the government has under paid and under valued all NHS, Police and other essential staff aswell as their institutions over the last 10 years is disgusting. One things for sure: we can all do something about it!

julie barker

Afraid to say this hospital leaves a lot to be desired, I appreciate the pressure the NHS is under . I was referred for a cyst removal 29 weeks ago, originally advised of 20-30 week wait, fair enough as it is non urgent. however the cyst has grown and it was escalated back in July. I rang today to see if I had moved up the queue for an appointment and was put through to ENT by a very polite gentleman, after the line ringing for 4.50 minutes it bounced back to the switch board where I was greeted by a very unhelpful receptionist stating, they're busy and the system can't put you in a queue! and also they can't take an email. I would have been happy to do either, surely a queue system would be easier for everyone all round both for staff and the patient.

Amyyy

My previous review has been deleted. So I’ll write another one and will keep doing so, if they keep getting deleted ?.

Was put on the ward you go to after A&E, there was broken ceiling tiles, with bits falling onto the hospital bed alongside drips of water. I don’t expect the ritz but I would hope for a hospital bed without ceiling and water falling onto the bed.

Clara and Louisa the nurses on that ward, were some of the most unprofessional dismissive people I have ever come across. They were ignoring a women who couldn’t breathe, rolling their eyes and shouting at patients. My canular (that goes into the vein of the arm) was dragged accross the floor with visible dirt left on it and it was refused to be changed. I hope that those poor suffering people in that ward have families to see the negligence taking place.