Bethlem Royal Hospital

Apr 29th, 2023

Gayyyyy
Mar 20th, 2023

I was briefly on Gresham and then Fitzmary for short periods due to severe depression. I was scared to be going onto an acute ward for the first time but I found the ward not that bad. Patients were mostly curious and tentatively friendly to each other. There was no one aggressive and I saw no restraints. The staff were mixed. Most were friendly but largely disinterested in you except for meal times and medication. I didn't particularly like my named nurse who seemed angry I had managed to eat something within the grounds. The whole time I was there we had no dialogue whatsoever, she didn't even try. A couple of staff members were actively kind and nice. When I was on 1:1s the staff consistently slept, and their snoring would wake me. While on the ward, you see the consultant psychiatrist once a week and I also saw a psychologist briefly. The ward was clean and you can use the showers/bathrooms at any time as well as the TV lounge, which I thought was good. The food was excellent and there was always fruit available. The real lazybones award here goes to the OTs - of whom there were no fewer then THREE based on Gresham.... and how long did we get any supervised 'activity' for per day? 30 minutes. 30 minutes in a day of eight hours plus. Occasionally it may have been longer if they were doing baking etc, but then again on some days activities were cancelled and the activity room was closed without notice or reason. So what were these lazy people doing for the other seven and a half hours of the day? Because they certainly weren't helping patients! Why on earth are they paid 40k odd? I complained about this when I left, and you certainly should too as it's the only way things will change. To add, when I was in Fitzmary over christmas, the staff made an effort for the patients and I thought it was lovely. I got a christmas present box with socks, handcream, chocolates etc. in. It was above and beyond and I still have that box. Thank you to whoever had that idea and made it happen. It was kind and it made me feel thought about. I can't say I had any real treatment when I was in the wards but acute wards are containment, not treatment, and I do understand that. It did give me some time to rest and recollect myself.
Mar 14th, 2023

Theyre doing their best
Feb 23rd, 2023

I was here a few years ago (200-300) and the staff had not changed. They are still rude and lazy.
Dec 13th, 2022