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Poor attitude

Posted By Fam1945

"Poor attitude"

About: Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske) / Acute Medical Unit (AMU) 1 & 2

(as a relative),

My dad was very poorly both mentally and physically and I was concerned that my dad was not drinking enough, resulting in him being dehydrated and potentially effecting his already high heart rate.

When I tried to speak to his named nurse regarding my concern, they replied abruptly that they could not force my dad to drink. I politely replied that I understood that they cannot force my dad to drink but that was not what I was asking, but I suggested my dad perhaps would benefit from being on a fluid chart and if appropriate IV fluids may be beneficial if he continued not to drink. I felt very upset by the nurse's response and I was made to feel like a nuisance.

I approached the nurse again on a second occasion on a different day, politely asking if I could ask them a favour. They again abruptly replied it depends what it was ! When I asked a couple questions about my dad’s heart rate and follow up following discharge, they couldn’t really answer the questions and had no intention of finding out by asking the doctors. They were very unapproachable, rude and lacked compassion.

I then went to the ward sister expressing how rude a member of their staff was to me and they didn't seem bothered at all. They did attempt to answer some of my questions.

My dad was transferred to an another hospital and they have been so compassionate and caring. I felt extremely saddened and upset that I was treated this way, and by the nurse's poor attitude.

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Responses

Response from Megan Nicholls, Patient Engagement Manager, Patient and Family Experience Team, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 3 months ago
Megan Nicholls
Patient Engagement Manager, Patient and Family Experience Team,
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Submitted on 11/02/2025 at 12:35
Published on Care Opinion at 12:35

Dear Fam1945

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. I am sorry to read that you had such a negative experience.

I was saddened to read that you were spoking to rudely by staff when trying to voice your concerns regarding your Dads fluid intake, when you had questions about your Dads care as well as when you tried to raise the rudeness to a ward sister. I am sorry to hear that you have been treated this way and that you were made to feel like a nuisance.

If you would like to raise your experience as a complaint or a concern, please do get in touch with the Patient Experience team. They can be contacted via email on rcht.patientexperience@nhs.net or you can speak directly to a Complaints Officer over the phone on 01872 252 793. The phone lines are open 10 am - 4 pm, Monday - Friday but there is an answerphone in operation outside of these times.

Thank you, again, for sharing your story with us. I do hope that your Dad is recovering well.

Best Wishes

Megan

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Response from Natalie Keogh, Clinical Matron of AMU , SDMA and Discharge lounge, Acute Medical Unit, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 3 months ago
Natalie Keogh
Clinical Matron of AMU , SDMA and Discharge lounge, Acute Medical Unit,
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Submitted on 12/02/2025 at 15:10
Published on Care Opinion at 16:24

Good afternoon,

Firstly, I want to sincerely thank you for bringing this to our attention. It is incredibly important that we hear about experiences like this so we can address concerns and improve the care we provide.

I was deeply saddened to read about your father’s experience while in the Acute Medicine Unit, particularly regarding the poor attitude of staff. This is not the standard of care we strive for, and it is certainly not the compassionate environment we aim to create for our patients and their families.

I have already fed this back to the ward sister and discussed how we can improve our approach to ensure that every patient is treated with the kindness, respect, and dignity they deserve. Compassion should be at the heart of everything we do, and it is unacceptable for any patient or family member to feel otherwise.

Patients should always be encouraged to drink, and if there is a medical reason why this is not possible, it should be explained clearly, professionally, and with empathy. It is distressing to hear that this was not the case, and I can only imagine how difficult this must have been for you and your family.

I will be sharing this feedback with our leadership team and asking them to reflect on what has happened so that we can take meaningful action to prevent this from happening again. Please accept my sincere apologies—it was never our intention to make anyone feel that we are not compassionate and caring, and I am truly sorry that your family has had this experience.

Thank you again for reaching out, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further concerns.

Natalie Keogh, Clincal Matron of acute medicine

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