"Confirmed some of my worst fears about 'care' for..."

What I liked

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Some individual staff-why arent they all like that?

Cameraderie of other families-made visiting bearable,even if it was just swopping horror stories

Visiting times on WCH website were incorrect-following my feedback these have been changed.Result!

What could be improved

I write as a close family member frequently visiting a patient on the ward.I understand that the NHS is stretched,staff over-worked and obviously stressed (they made that very clear) .I found it almost impossible to get any consistent information from nursing/medical staff & given mixed & conflicting messages about care,treatment & discharge.The behaviour and attitude of staff varied from the rude and hostile to exceptionally caring.There were times I felt that physical care was only just safe with no time available to meet the emotional or psychological needs of patients.At one point a member of nursing staff just walked off during a conversation and never returned.My family member ended up semi-monitoring another patient with dementia.I over-heard conversations about other patients and their families and about how tired and busy staff were.Aren't we all in the public sector! I found it astonishing that the results of the staff Satisfaction Survey are on the wall.I dont find it encouraging that care for my loved-one is being provided by staff whose morale is at 50% or less.Its impossible to tell who has what role/status on the ward -no lapel name badges mean you dont even know who is talking to you (they dont seem to feel the need to introduce themselves).Tiny name tags worn at waist level mean most patients wont see or be able to read them.There are other things I am deeply concerned about I wont go into here.Suffice to say that I am very unhappy that low staff morale seems to be significantly affecting the quality and standard of care.This low morale is not the patients problem but the Trusts-however,it seems as if patients & their families are bearing the brunt of this dissastisfaction and I'm afraid I think that is unacceptable.

Anything else?

Does men at one end & women at the other end of a ward really constitute single-sex accomodation?

Please list consultants consistently in your A-Z.Some are are listed alphabetically by First Name and Others by Surname.How do I find them if listed aphabetically by First Name if I only know Surname?!

I will be forwarding my feedback to the CQC.