"Big well done for providing compassionate care"

 Brought mum to A&E due to shortness of breath. Department was extremely busy. My mum was appropriately assessed and received prompt diagnosis and treatment prescribed. My mum (in her 40's) has spent most of the past 6 months in hospital so naturally finds it very distressing as there have been periods where she has been seriously ill. The kindness, compassion and efficiency showed by the A&E team meant a lot to both of us. The staff listened carefully to her history and concerns without hurrying us. Dr Cash in particular made us both feel more at ease with her kind approach and thorough explanation.

She was moved to ward 2 and unfortunately she did not receive the same level of care. She has had blood glucose monitoring and was given a dry sandwich but no further assessments carried out. Staff haven't even bothered to check vital details or her NEWS since arriving on the ward. She pressed buzzer for medications which had been prescribed in A&E and was told she had to wait as there was no doctor available and she was also not able to have pain relief despite being in a great deal of pain. She has a libre glucose monitoring system which has been prescribed by diabetic specialists and staff don't appear to know what it is, how it works or why there can be a small difference in readings from the monitor and blood glucose readings. I think there needs to be more training as my mum has this monitor due to significant vascular disease with finger pricking causing ongoing issues for her.

We totally understand it's a really busy ward and there can be delays due to waiting on Drs etc but my mum would have been a lot less distressed if someone had explained this to her on arrival. We are so grateful for all the care she has received and can only hope things improve in ward 2. Big well done to A&E staff for providing compassionate and person centred care despite the department being very full.