The newly refurbished adult treatment area (ATA) At The Royal Free in Hampstead is just the place  to while away a day.  The decor is fab with a painted skylight and a mural but…..

the air con is centrally controlled and is freezing cold but no one can turn it off.  Great design, not!  And the wonderful doctors and nurses keep repeating the same questions, examinations and form filling.  It’s form filling gone mad but they have to do it for “medico legal” reasons, apparently.  Finally, after 7 and a half hours we have nearly reached the pinnacle of the ladder with a visit from a consultant who has decided that mum will stay overnight.  However, there are no beds available at time of writing but a lovely orderly just brought round a trolley with a cellophane wrapped  egg sandwich and a mug of tea for mum.  I am relying on the M and S shop in the hospital, which does a roaring trade.  A and E is like the TV show Casualty without the romance and the hospital is like a building site as they continue their refurbishments.  Just a few more beds might be adviseable.