OK the Royal Marsden Hospital is not a hotel, it’s the UK’s leading cancer hospital!  But when I was an in-patient in the Marsden in October 2019 I was fortunate enough to be housed on a private ward, and when my mum visited she said it was “like a hotel”!  I was an NHS patient and I can tell you the Marsden provides the same level of care to those patients. But if you might be in the position of going private, here’s an outline of what you’ll find.

When I was admitted the day before my surgery I was allocated a lovely bright 3rd Floor corner room in Granard House with windows overlooking both the Fulham Road and Dovehouse Street.  After surgery and a couple of days in intensive care I was moved to a room on the 1st floor of Granard House overlooking Dovehouse Street and the Royal Brompton Hospital, and on to the Fulham Road.

Private rooms come with a fold-up bed for a relative to night-stop with you!

Food is prepared in a pantry on the ward, so it tastes fresh, and while the quality is better than on an NHS ward, it’s not the Ritz. After surgery I was nil by mouth for a few days, then I was promoted to “small sips of water”, then a liquid diet, and finally after a couple of weeks I made it to “soft diet” before my discharge. Most of my soft diet dishes were very tasty. And I should note that the food menus provide ample choice for middle eastern diets.

The ensuite bathroom had a toilet, sink, mirror and an open shower. A wall mounted foldaway seat and plenty of grab rails gave me the support I needed.  Molton Brown toiletries were provided!

The Marsden has a team of Chaplains who provide comfort to all patients, their families and to staff. Both the Catholic and Anglican Chaplains visited me – just to visit and comfort me, not to try to get me to join their churches.  The Catholic Chaplain, Father Joseph McCullough, is a fellow Ulsterman and I got on particularly well with him.  Two weeks earlier he’d met Pope Francis in the Vatican and The Pope personally blessed some amulets Father Joseph had bought. The amulets are a copy of one worn by The Pope, depicting a “good shepherd”, and Father Joseph gave one to me!  I was so impressed and touched.  And I admit I did become convinced that this amulet had delivered a miracle to me, because the success of my operation and the speed and nature of my recovery were genuinely miraculous.

I can’t avoid the fact that my 3 weeks in GH1 ward were difficult and at times very stressful. But having my own room, my partner being able to stay over, and the amazing team of staff on the ward helped me immeasurably.