A woman has spoken out in praise of staff at Whipps Cross Hospital after this week's report found failings of care at the hospital.

Doreen Fowler, 65, of Gordon Road, Wanstead, was rushed to the Leytonstone hospital in an ambulance on February 25 night after complaining of pain in her stomach.

She was in the Poplar ward for a week with suspected Crohn’s disease, an inflammation of the lining of the digestive system, five days of which with a tube that cleared out her stomach.

Mrs Fowler does admit that on her way to hospital she was worried after the negative press surrounding the NHS.

The 65-year-old said: “I always use private healthcare so I was pretty apprehensive about using the NHS, you hear all these negative stories about it.

“But I was pleasantly surprised as my experience could not have been better.

“I did have to wait a couple of hours to get seen but the week was seriously like a holiday.

“Everybody who worked there was so nice and marvellous, the food was good and it was very clean.

“The staff did work really hard but they were cheerful, friendly and helpful and always have a smile on their faces.

On Tuesday it was announced that Whipps Cross was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), with inspectors finding patients being put at risk.

Barts Health, which also runs Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, St Bartholomews in The City, Newham University Hospital, Mile End Hospital and the London Chest Clinic, was placed in special measures as a result.

It is believed to be in around £90million debt due to liabilities relating to a private finance initiative for redevelopment.

Trust chairman, Stpehen O'Brien, chief executive Peter Morris and chief nurse Professor Kay Riley all stepped down recently.

Mrs Fowler said she was “upset” at the findings as she did not notice any poor practice.

She said: “It really upset me when I saw the report, I can only talk about what I experienced, but I did not see any evidence of poor care at all.

"I remember they were so lovely with a 95-year-old patient, it was marvellous to see.

“I really could not have wished for better and while I have always gone private I am considering using the NHS now.

“I want to say a very big thank you to everyone at Whipps Cross.”

In a new series on the NHS, the Guardian will feature experiences of patients, their families and staff of treatment provided across east London and west Essex. As A&Es continue to struggle with demand and politicians argue over the future of healthcare, we will publish first-hand accounts, features and news stories on the latest developments. We want to hear from you if you have something to say about your local hospital, GP surgery, or clinic. Click here for contact details of reporters covering your area. Alternatively, you can submit a story here.