"Bodmin is a beautiful hospital ..."

Thank you for posting your comment from November. We are always interesting in the comments and feedback that patients and visitors have about the care they or family members receive. In answer to your concerns regarding staffing levels on Anchor Ward on 24 November we can confirm that the number of nursing staff that day was the normal working level for a typical day. During that day, 12 staff were available during the morning and afternoon to care for the needs of the patients. This number is reached following discussions between the nursing staff and the ward matron and is considered by the team to be the correct amount of staff to provide an effective service on the ward. At times, it is necessary for staff to prioritise the care of a particular patient with maybe two members of staff in attendance to provide for that patient's needs - this is especially so with the care of stroke patients who are currently cared for on this ward while the specialised Stroke Rehabilitation unit at Camborne/Redruth Community Hospital is being finalised. This may lead to a perception that visitors to the ward are involved in patient care due to the lack of staff. The nature of the care offered however, is rehabilitation and family members do like to be as involved as possible in the care of their loved ones in the majority of cases. There have been no complaints from any member of the nursing team who provide the care on Anchor Ward but your comments have been passed on to the Ward Matron who assesses the staffing situation on a regular and ongoing basis. We hope this helps to answer the concerns you have raised. If however, you would like to take this matter up further, the PALS service at NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly would be happy to listen to your comments and help in any way. To contact the PCT PALs team, please phone 01726 291109.