Not enough hush at Hospital Civil

THERE was too much noise in A & E at Malaga’s Hospital Civil, a survey revealed. This department was far too noisy, complained 64 per cent of the people answering a questionnaire from the hospital’s A & E and Critical Care departments. Thirty per cent of participants confessed to being affected by the noise levels although these could easily be reduced, 87 per cent claimed.

It also emerged that patients being treated at A & E were regarded as making most noise by 63 per cent of respondents, although 79 per cent blamed family members accompanying them.

Not all noise originated with patients or their families, however, and 65.7 per cent blamed non-medical hospital staff, with 58.8 per cent citing nurses and doctors.

Medical equipment, alarms, public address systems, mobile phones and the hospital’s landline telephones were mentioned by a further 28 per cent.

The public, patients and hospital staff should be encouraged to be quieter when visiting and attending A & E or working there, suggested 71 per cent.

The survey’s organisers have now drawn up a noise “map” pinpointing the Hospital Civil’s noisiest spots, with the A & E polyclinic named the worst offender particularly during visiting hours.