Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children — Local services in London

I usually don’t leave negative reviews and I have been putting this off but I would like to advise anyone that is thinking of choosing this hospital, don’t unless you like waiting an obnoxiously long time and if you like having no idea what’s going on. My brother has been seen by this hospital for the last 7-8 years for procedures and check ups. Over the hundreds of visits and stays we have had here, not a single time did they stick to the time frame they gave us for example we get told 2 hours for an infusion and end up staying over 6 hours. In another instance we were told to come in for a surgery but gave us no information for the surgery and then without any prior information told my brother that he wouldn’t be eating for 3 months. When I asked for clarification the doctor I was dealing with got very defensive and didn’t listen to me at all. During these three months we were told on at least 5 separate occasions we were leaving the next day and then stayed. For example the first day we told 3 days we’d be here then a week and another week and then it was suddenly three months in. There was very minimal if not absent communication throughout our stay. Each nurse that came in was not briefed and informed of his status and would ask what’s going on instead of eachother they would come in with his medication after he’s already been given it or they told us he needed to stop taking it. When his bloods were taken he was pricked 7 times before the inexperienced individual got some blood coming out and even then she was shaking his arm and asking him to hold the tray with all the medical instruments instead of her colleague which was very unprofessional. However the hospital is extremely clean I will give them that. But the communication between the team themself and between them and us is unbelievably poor. When we ask them for something we need to ask at least 6-7 times before then even start to do something about it. Today they dismissed us without taking out his cannula I had to point out that it needed to be taken out the nurse herself is not to blame because she was clearly new. I understand that it can get busy and stressful to work in an environment like this and mistakes are natural but it’s not just a once in a while situation. Multiple things go wrong over and over and a lot of things are forgotten and dismissed. I haven’t even scratched the surface of our experience with the hospital. This is not a personal attack on any individual person but as a collective each ward we have been to (kingfisher) the communication is close to non existent and we are told one time frame and end up staying at least triple the time every single time. It’s disappointing that we have not even had a single positive experience within the...

Wonderful as GOSH has been for many sick children and will continue to do so is how it should be. Unfortunately for my husband and I it was an unforgivable disaster. Admittedly I am referring way back many years when my beautiful son Kevin was 8 years old . He was unwell and my gp referred him to GOSH, biggest mistake of his life.The staff who attended him at that time was Dr.Alexander; Dr Grant, Sister Mac and Dr Howarth all I assume are now retired. I, personally lived at GOSH for 4 weeks I refused to leave my son I even cooked his meals luckily there was local shops nearby. The kitchens back then were quite large but overcrowded with staff with mums and dads like myself.. Our son was very unwell but most lively and gifted as he was obsessed with the history of pre historical monsters of their time. Mary Goodwin was his nurse and wonderful mentor unlike the ruling white coated drs. We only got an inkling that it may be Lymhosoco? until he died some time later.. This tragedy ruin our rives and I am sure many other lives who’s children had died.. We ”also had a small daughter so life had to on. We joined a special group who were unhappy with the then workings of this great Hospital all wasn’t as it should have been.. A group of patients was organised and we took GOSH into court for taking the body organs of our darling children without permission. The sheer audacity and damage it did to we, as parents was horrendous and will never be forgiven. At that time we were cared for by I believe her name was Sister Mary Goodwin, obviously now retired GOD BLESS HER, only wish I could contact her but phoning GOSH is like phoning the moon. There is a saying ‘one should never look back’ but our son was gifted in his ability to write stories and draw prehistoric monster before present time booksellers actually gave insights to the past. . We can’t turn time back and I most certainly wouldn’t wish GOSH to any child but on writing that sentence I dearly hope the hospital has changed beyond my recognition and is now the Hospital it should have been during the 60’s and 70’s and hopefully the drs, surgeons, nurses were all of one mind “ The Child always comes first”. ...

We need to teach doctors how to talk to people. I saw parents in the waiting room caring for children with serious problems. These carers would benefit from empathy and organization. As a parent battling health conditions with your child, we are battle worn but at still need to show up ready to advocate for our children as the doctors I met with had no organization or ability to explain what we needed to know or do. Imagine doctors talking in erratic, confusing circles and asking questions without listening. I felt great entering the room and completely aggravated and crying leaving.

The nurses are great. The woman doing the scan was great. Hospital staff had put a lot of thought in to decorating for the holidays. There was a young woman leading an art activity for children and a talented harp player providing holiday cheer . The only problem is the doctors.

I just heard an NHS doctor interviewed on the BBC and she was saying empathy is not part of the training. Interacting with the two doctors was beyond aggravating and discouraging. It was confusing too. Nurses are great. Doctors are not helpful or kind. Hospital systems could be improved and all you need to teach doctors is that you need to regulate then relate then reason. If patients aren’t emotionally regulated, you need to show some empathy and some sympathy and not just say “OK then” what about teaching doctors to say things like this must be so stressful. I’m so sorry of course you’re tired. Thank you for showing up you’re doing such a good job and things like that.

The two doctors I interacted with displayed no empathy. The departments don’t talk to each other so it’s chaotic. Nobody gave us a letter telling us the info they would need from us so we were lot prepared. The doctor was talking in circles and would ask questions but not listen to the answers. “What supplements are you taking?” And then she was off onto something else without writing down the supplements. They are robots looking at charts and paper. It was clear they have no children or experience with what...