"Two extremes !"

Despite the obvious challenges faced by A&E the staff handled my 84 year old Father with compassion and kindness. We were kept fully abreast of his treatment plan and given honest information regarding delays. This excellent approach continued on the Acute Medical unit, we felt safe in the hands of a qualified and dedicated team. Unfortunately we are now part of a more general ward and feel practically invisible ! Not one member of the team introduced themselves and when we asked to speak to someone responsible for my father’s care, we were forced to hunt the said nurse out ! Promised updates never materialised and my Father sat in his wet bedclothes and nightgown for over an hour before someone attended his needs. I am the first to recognise the extreme staffing difficulties, however compassion and kindness does not require a mass work force ! As a relative we are conscious not to demand too much of any of the medics time and acknowledge they must prioritise different patients needs, but I’m afraid the staff on this ward are unapproachable and did not appear particularly overloaded with a heavy workload.