"Appalling."

What could be improved

I have had the sad experienceof boyh my elderly parents dying in this hospital in the last 2 1/2 years and I feel the attention given to elderly patients is appalling and totally lacking in respect. My mother was left lying in bed and was given food even though she was unable to feed herself as she had a brain tumour. She was left in dirty clothes and staff attitude and care was non existent. My father died there on 28th Dec 2010. Dirty rooms with chipped walls and paper and paint. No heating, toilet facilities inadequate, with no commode provided and nursing orderly not being aware my father was unable to walk. The reason my father was admitted in the first place was due to incorrectly prescribed medication from a member of staff which they subsequently denied having prescribed and resulted in them having to be called in front of the consultant for explanations. Father left unattendd to use the commode with no brake set resulting in a serious injury. When admitted by MIU to the cardiology ward in spite of a heart problem being diagnosed, the staff denied he had been admitted and only after checking they found Derrick Woodcroft had been admitted as Derrick Broadbent, and still denied Dad was being treated for a heart problem. There again they wouldnt know with the wrong name being used. I visited Dad on Christmas Day and the wrong name was still on the ward list with Broadbent crossed out and Woodcroft written underneath in pencil!!!Sensitivity? Our family live anything between 40 and 200 miles away and the intransigence and lack of sensitivity of staff in respect of this was appalling and when we were granted a variation of visiting times due to our distance and the bad weather, getting into wards would only have us suffering the spanish inquisition, viz who said you could who allowed that etc etc etc etc. I am glad I do not live near to the Good Hope and would have to suffer the indignity of their lack of care and tact for the elderly.

Anything else?

The patients are there to be looked after and respected and treated with dignity as are their relatives, dont make the same mistakes again.2010Brain tumoursDeath and dyingAttentiveAttitudeCleanlinessDignityFoodPatient careAccommodationToiletsConsultantsVisiting timesWardCardiology