"Poor cleanliness and care"

Admitted late September to J North. Shower area was filthy, not washed from admittance to being moved wards (6 days later). This was evidenced with photos showing debris on shower floor which remained the entire time.

Ward floor was vacuumed over weekend and I had to ask the cleaner to come back in and do under the beds as he only covered down the centre of the ward and there were multiple bits of debris under beds. 

I discovered a sock under the bed which did not belong to me and when asking the cleaner how often floors were cleaned she told me that she only had time to mop them once per week.

I went in with dehydration and due to receive fluids for this. I was given breakfast in the morning, a nurse appeared while eating this asking why I was eating when I was supposed to be fasting for an ultrasound scan. I told her that I was unaware that I was to be fasting. Consultant spoke to me later that morning asking why I wasn’t on IV fluids and said I was to get CT not ultrasound. I didn’t receive any lunch this day as nurse was adamant I was fasting, I told her consultant said the opposite, she then came back an hour later to say I was correct and shouldn’t be fasting but unfortunately lunches were now finished. I had to ask for some toast. It was later in the evening before IV fluids finally commenced.

On the Wednesday, two days later, I was given an injection of blood thinner even after questioning this with the nurse as I was already on medication for the same. The following night, she returned with the medication for others on the ward, i questioned why I wasn’t receiving it now and she told me that I had received it in error.

During the course of my stay, it was only my own intervention that stopped me receiving a double dose of Oramorph, I had to tell them that I had already been given this.

I was commenced on Laxido, the nurse asked on late medicine round if I wanted a sachet of this. I said yes but she then told me I couldn’t receive it as my chart had been closed and she couldn’t reenter it.

By now I was feeling very vulnerable and unsafe. Lights in ward stay on until midnight. Buzzers rang continuously overnight. I do understand that it was a very busy ward and very understaffed. I was thankfully able look after myself mostly independently but others who were more vulnerable were very at risk

I also heard a nurse bullying a health care assistant one morning, giving her a dressing down in full earshot of the ward.

Once transferred to G South, my own care did improve although I still witnessed more vulnerable patients being ignored. By Wednesday morning I felt that I had to get out of there (I was told several times that I could leave before this being rescinded) and was getting very frustrated and I raised my voice to a newly qualified nurse. She was very understanding and did speak to the doctor to arrange the tests required that I was waiting for.