"Basic care standards"

My husband was transferred to MAU from A&E in Monklands NHSL yesterday due to a bladder infection and urinary retention. All the staff were great, but I was surprised that he was given x3 units of IV fluids due to dehydration when he was alert and conscious, rather than, maybe x1 IV and a few jugs of water. My husband did ask for water and was given a few small paper cups, but the nurse reported he couldn't have a jug as they didn't have any on the ward! Surely it would be cheaper to provide the ward with jugs and tap water than give IV fluids.

My husband was then transferred to ward 6. He wasn't greeted by any nursing staff. Eventually a nurse came round to do observations (this was an hour after he arrived). They went on to do the obs of all 4 patients in the room without once sanitising hands or the BP cuff/Sat's monitor between patients. Maybe, there isn't time for training due to staff shortages? The nurse also had no patient notes with them, and didn't know any of the patients names. How they could recall 4 different patients BP, O2 Sat's, HR and temp without making a note I've no idea. I left after 2 hours of him being on the ward and asked if he could have a jug of water as I left, this was provided.

My husband reported that later that evening, the gentleman opposite him was shouting at a nurse because he had been on the ward for 12 hours and nobody had given him any treatment (he was in some pain), it turns out that his admittance to the ward had not been completed! The poor man had been there for an entire nurses shift without them knowing he was there!

I don't want to blame these dreadful, basic care issues on the nursing staff as I'm sure there were patients on the ward who required intense nursing care which is absolutely essential. I totally back strikes in the NHS to provide a good wage for staff as without this, the NHS will continue to struggle attracting staff, and the staff who are there will continue to omit the basic care needs of patients and there own CPD to keep their heads above water. But, basic hand hygiene and providing dehydrated patients with access to fluids,  and patients in pain with medication is pretty essential.

It's very disappointing. 

I'm so sad at the state of our service, I'm aware that's a political issue. The sad state of the hospital, everything just looks tired, old and dirty. The housekeeping staff were doing their best, but, the whole hospital looks depressing. 

Again, the A&E staff were fantastic, MAU staff were lovely, even with the lack of jugs, but ward 6 clearly needs better staffing, maybe more HCAs just to do the basics. Showing patients where the toilet is, providing water, freeing up nurses to do their hand hygiene module. Just the basics.