"Shocking level of care"

My son was referred to ARI by Gp  and he was in ward 101 for a few days . He received blood and IV antibiotics. After a few days he was moved to ward 110. Since he was admitted to this ward we/ he had been asking for a  pressure relieving mattress to suit his needs . He has an air mattress at home.  He is a in patient with various conditions  but infected pressure sores was one of his main problems .He eventually received a bed suitable for his needs, but the one he had  for almost a month was an air bed but not working properly, the alarm constantly going off as there was a problem with the pressure . The pump was replaced four times . But the problem was the actual mattress . And nurses were turning it off overnight so he and others could sleep. Totally unacceptable a hospital like ARI could not find a working mattress for this severely disabled man. This will inevitably have a knock on effect on his healing.

We have had nurses clean his wound if he has an accident but not replacing dressings . But these have been bank staff not NHS staff. 

While in ward 101 we asked to speak to the consultant. They said they'd phone us . They never did. In ward 110 we asked to speak to consultant . This never happened on the first occasion but on our second request we saw a locum (who had never even met my son but was sympathetic to the situation he was in). On our third request despite turning up at the time specified we were seen by two doctors  but still not a consultant  which we requested . These doctors were very helpful and  really seemed to understand my son’s complex needs but it was not the consultant.

On ward 110 a bank staff gave my son an overdose of paracetamol . He had the amount he should have in a day, but had been given two doses too close together . Bloods were taken but all was well .

The nhs nurses  are very good but run off their feet . But it is Bank nurses that on several occasions he has been left without the wound dressings he requires . On one occasion he heard a bank staff person saying they would just leave the dressing until the day staff came on . What a total disregard  for any duty of care.

 Aberdeen Royal infirmary which is an acute hospital seems to have nowhere they can place disabled people with complex medical history. I feel this is a gross oversight and a failure of their duty of care for the disabled who use it facilities.