"No faith that anything will be done"

2 years ago I was admitted via A&E to the Medical Assessment Unit at the above hospital. The staff in A&E were wonderful!

This was at 10pm at night. The nurse from A7E informed the staff on MAU I was there and in the waiting room. I then waited for someone to come and see me or at least acknowledge me as I knew they were struggling to find a bed as the A7e nurse had told me.

I could see the Nurses station from where I was and hear the conversations and the staff were stood chatting about their weekend. About 11. 30 I asked if I could have a drink and was told all the drinks had been done hours ago.

At 2 in the morning, still after no acknowledgement of my being there, I walked up to the Nurses station to ask for a pillow and blanket. After what I can only describe as a 'long wait' whilst they finished their conversation, 1 of the nurses said she would see what she could do. It did not happen and I was left in the waiting room with no drinks/ covers all night without being seen by anyone. I wanted to ring my son to take me home but he would have said I needed to be there!

At 7. 30 in the morning a very nice male Auxiliary saw me in the dayroom and asked if I would like a drink and I became very upset trying to tell him what had happened. He went for the Day Sister who apologised and said she would get the Dr to see me. This they did in a treatment room with no pillow or cover and at that stage I said I would discharge myself as I was not staying any longer! ! !

I did complain to the Internal dept at the hospital who sent me a letter weeks after to say the MAU sister had 'investigated' and their was no complaint to be followed!

Nothing has changed at this hospital even if the new CEO says it has. Outpatient clinics which I am at regularly are good across the board in particular Rheumatology and the Heart wards and staff are excellent. However, I have had a specific request put on my notes that I will go to another hospital before I go anywhere near MAU.

I asked a friend of mine who works at the hospital if she knew why there was such a problem and she said most of MAU is manned by agency staff and because of the short stay, staff don't relate to patients. This is nonsense as the A&E staff definitely related!

I worked as a Nurse at Tameside Hospital or Ashton General as it then was from the late 60s to the early 80s. I am now ashamed to say I worked and trained there. They have walls in Outpatients with notes on from grateful patients on a variety of wards including Maternity. However, funnily enough, there is not a corresponding wall of complaints!

I am not bothered by the way of being anonymous but I have no faith that anything will ever be done!