"Pain relief for my father"

Over the past few weeks my dad has been treated and cared for in various different healthcare settings. He has incurable bone cancer with any treatment being for pain management. He has had spinal surgery which has left him in a lot of pain alongside the cancer itself and is therefore on a lot of pain medication including controlled opioids.

The palliative pain team in RVH took 3 weeks to sort his pain medication and therefore it is vital he gets these on time every day. He is currently in Antrim Hosptial, ward A1 with a PE and pneumonia. He was scheduled for an ultrasound so was told to fast from midnight. His evening medication should not have been affected by the fasting. I am still unsure if he received any medication that day, but his longtec was withheld due to this fasting (which should not be the case and even if it was, his oral analgesia should have been prescribed via a different route eg. IV).

During the night his pain became increasingly worse but they said they couldn't give him anything. That morning I facetimed my dad to see how he was and he managed to answer his phone (thankfully) but was writhing in excruciating pain, physically crying. I quickly told him to press his buzzer and he said he already had but they just came and switched it off. I told him to press it again now, to which he then said he was shouting for the nurse and they saw him like that and just walked away and ignored him.

I stayed on the phone and a healthcare assistant came to answer his buzzer. They explained the nurses were at handover and I said that my dad needs medication right now, as you can see he is in excruciating pain. After some time a helpful nurse from the day staff came and administered his medications.

I am a nurse myself and I feel that this is unacceptable. 1 - refusing a patient their longtec and 2 - switching off a patient's buzzer and ignoring their state of pain. It's inhumane, in my view.

Throughout my dad's illness I can honestly say he has never complained once - he looks for the best in every healthcare worker and in every situation. However he described this experience as cruel. I quite frankly am traumatised by what I have witnessed, so can only imagine how my vulnerable dad feels lying in a hospital bed helpless.

I hope the doctors and nurses that are involved in this incident are made aware of the impact it has had on my dad and family watching on. It has certainly let the reputation of the ward down, in my view. It would maybe benefit them to read this complaint. I have never came across neglect like this. I feel it's an utter disgrace.