SIR – Ambient hospital noise for inpatients is not conducive to a restful, stressfree stay.

Therefore, on one of my not too rare stays at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, I was quite surprised and quite frankly relieved that after two days and nights in a main ward I was given a side room with just one other chap for company.

The first two days had been very frustrating – scraping chairs, banging bin lids and the hustle and bustle of the nurses, cleaners, doctors, pharmacy and visitors which left it impossible to rest without my salvation... my wax ear plugs.

These, of course, could only keep out about 80 per cent of the normal noise levels, they could not protect from the nurses raising their voices to make the supposed deaf patients hear them.

Unfortunately they did not reduce the decibels when a patient had 20/20 hearing, which was most of them.

Medication at all hours seemed to be a continual routine to keep me awake.

The most officious nurse woke me up by addressing me loudly as Mr Fester while sticking a hypo in my belly, while an ultra-friendly one called me Greg as she thrust a thermometer in my ear and took my blood pressure. This was usually after I had at last dropped off in a rare quiet period between one of the many disturbances.

There was peace at last as the staff settled down for a well-earned break, but because they had forgotten to turn down the voice volume, most of the patients now began to learn a great deal about the nurses’ private lives as they relaxed and gossiped around a hot drink.

Once in the side ward I was in heaven with most of the bustle outside the door.

The duties of the nurses continued, bless them.

When two young ladies efficiently began replacing my bedding after breakfast I asked why I was given priority of a side ward?

“Because”, one replied, “the rest of the ward could get no sleep with your snoring!”

Enough said. I couldn’t hear myself snoring, I was asleep and I was using wax earplugs.

GREG FESTER
Malvern