"Experience left me hesitant about seeking care in the future"

I recently had an extended stay on Ward 6 and unfortunately, my experience was far from positive. The level of care from both the nursing staff and healthcare support workers was concerning, with a noticeable lack of compassion and respect. I observed this not only in my own treatment but also in the way other patients were addressed. 

The staff often appeared dismissive of patients' needs, and I frequently encountered unprofessional behaviour, including sarcastic responses from healthcare support workers when requesting assistance. It was particularly disheartening to overhear staff gossiping about patients outside the rooms, which is not only disrespectful but also highly unprofessional.

Despite being scheduled for a second bladder scan, I was informed that the night shift did not have time to perform it, and it was never followed up. I also experienced prolonged delays when requesting help, staff would either not respond or assure me they’d return shortly, but often failed to come back. Basic patient care was neglected, such as sick bowls being left with overnight, and bedpans with urine remaining in the bathroom for hours. At one point, when I requested more bedpans, I was told to use the toilet, despite being on a fluid balance chart. Additionally, the chart itself was filled in inaccurately, listing an incorrect weight, despite the fact that I had not been weighed during my admission at all even at a and e , the weight was inaccurate by 10kg and this is worrying as I had various medications that require an accurate weight to be calculated,  I informed an auxiliary of this and their response was it was on the ipad on your MUST chart.

When I was in significant pain, it took hours for me to receive pain relief, and the same delay occurred with anti-sickness medication. Throughout my stay, I felt that my concerns were largely ignored, and as a result, my condition seemed to get a bit worse ,rather than improve. 

There was also a lack of communication regarding my care plan. I only received information when a nurse, seemingly frustrated, informed me that there was nothing else to be done as my ultrasound results were normal, just before i self discharged as i was frustrated. The restricted visiting hours (only three hours per day) added to the sense of isolation, and the inconsistent enforcement of these hours with some patients seemingly allowed to have visitors stay longer, only exacerbated this feeling. The use of a bell to signal the end of visiting hours felt outdated and impersonal.

Moreover, privacy was a significant issue. On several occasions, staff entered my space without warning, opening curtains without asking for my permission. Although I understand the need for observation, it is unreasonable to expect patients to recover when their sleep is constantly interrupted. There were long periods where staff were not visible on the ward except during medication rounds.

In contrast, the only staff members who consistently demonstrated compassion were the domestic workers, which speaks volumes about the environment. 

The ward also seemed severely understaffed, which may have contributed to many of these issues. With 30 beds and only two nurses and two or three healthcare support workers on night shifts (and slightly more during the day), the level of care felt inadequate and unsafe.

During my stay, I also found the doctor's approach to be lacking in understanding regarding my other medical conditions that could have contributed to my illness. I felt their communication skills were poor, and I often felt dismissed rather than listened to when trying to discuss these underlying issues. This lack of consideration left me feeling unsupported in managing my overall health.

Overall, my experience has left me hesitant about seeking care at Monklands Hospital in the future. I can’t help but feel that my age may have influenced how my condition was perceived, as I was treated as though I was not seriously ill when, in fact, I was.

Maybe the management could take under consideration that the staffing levels need to improve in this ward , especially to give the staff a bit of less stress .