"Lack of basic nursing care"

Having had major 8hr surgery,  I cannot fault the nursing care in ICU & HDU delivered to my husband, the staff were caring, attentive  & very professional.

On Day 6 post op, he was then transferred to surgical ward 107. I sadly can not say the same care was delivered here. Bearing in mind, my husband at this stage still had chest drains, IVI's, NG tube, Urinary Catheter, Jejunum feeding peg all still in-situ. He obviously at this stage was unable to carry out basic personal needs/hygiene by himself. At no stage in the ward was he offered a bedbath or assistance to get to the shower.

He was in a single room & there was very little communication with nursing staff, other than medication rounds, changing of his IVI's & enteral feeding.

Bed linen does not necessarily need changed daily but on numerous occassions I came in to see him lying in a dirty bed, bile stained pillow slips & stained sheets, I changed the bed myself.

I was shocked on one ocassion to witness a job 'half done' when his IVI was discontinued late one evening, the half empty IV bag was left hanging in his room on the drip stand for several days & was not disposed of.

On another ocassion his enteral feed was left running but not attached to the peg & so, when I came in to visit in the morning, there was feed all over the bed & the floor.

Whilst nursing staff may be busy, I feel there there is no excuse for a lack of basic nursing care. This hospital experience has left us feeling dissappointed in the level of care that is now being delivered.

On a positive note, the continuity of care & attention delivered by ERAS Nurse  was outstanding & I feel without her input things would not have moved as quickly as they did in order to get my husband discharged.