"Very dissappointing"

What I liked

Unfotunatly very little

What could be improved

We visied ward 18 on 1/8/2010 for my wife to have a lumber puncture, we were required to attend @10 am.We had to report to reception at one extreme of the site to return to ward 18.on arrival we were 'greeted' by a male nurse ,who seemed on the edge of a nervous breakdown, who was quite terse and just told to go and sit down.We duly did so and were the quite ignored for 45 minutes, when I enquired once again of the same nurse,who addressed me as 'mate', he offered no satifactory imformation, I returned to my seat only to wait another 20minutes befor we were attended to. The point is here surely its important to communicate with patients and tell them what to expect. At this point we decided there was no point in both of us waiting so I returned home( to Pill).When I returned to collect my wife at 5 pm ish the experience was little better, the nurse did not know where my wife was( can you believe it) and when she found here was less that helpful. My wife who could hardly stand had to struggle down the corridor with my assistance ( we were offered no help) to my car where she lay postrate all the way home. It further transpires that there were no facilities for the patient to lay down after the lumber puncture ( my imformation is that best practice is for the patient to lay flat for 2-4 hours afterwards) my wife and other patients were expected to get up after 10 minutes!

Anything else?

I am 71 years of age and have aways been a staunch defender of the N.H.S. and I have thought long and hard before complaining but I have concluded that Ward 18 appears to have a serious morale problem and the nurses in particular seem to have forgotten what they are the there for eg PATIENT CARE. Please get this sorted and do justice to a a highly esteemed and hourable pro fession. D.R.W.