"WARD B14 - AN AWFUL AND FRIGHTENING STAY FOR..."

My elderly 82 year old mother had been suffering from severe stomach pain and associated symptoms for some time before finally the pain became too much and she was taken to Peterborough Hospital via Ambulance to A&E. She was then admitted to B14 Ward for diagnostic investigation and treatment.

When was then moved to a room with other patients the problems really began !.

Constantly other elderly patients who clearly had dementia were being moved into the ward room and shouting out, ranting and banging all night long in the room. One male patient from somewhere else on the ward was continually entering the room late at night at all hours staring at those within, frightening other patients – nothing was done about it.

The family were so concerned on what they witnessed on one occasion that they refused to leave at visiting time unless something was done. It was clear there was general apathy to the situation and lack of responsibility and constant fobbing off to the patient and their family. Such was our concern we left my mother a mobile phone to call us at any time of day or night.

I visibly watched my mothers’ mental state deteriorate on the ward through lack of sleep and exhaustion to the constant noise. She waited 8 days for a CT Scan that was never forthcoming and finally after a torturous 11 day stay, the family received a phone call at 0200hrs in the morning from a very distressed, anxious and distraught elderly 82 yr old lady pleading with the family to come and fetch her as she could take no more (I had later found that she had resorted to going into the toilet cubicle in the room and shutting the door just to get some peace in the night

When family members arrived at 0230hrs in the morning it was evident that there was no way my mother could stay in the situation, as they had placed an elderly patient in the room who had been shouting, wailing and screaming for the last 5 hours and the staff at the hospital came out with the usual “no beds” cannot do anything about it – when it should have been done a lot earlier. My mother “with a continuous headache” self discharged herself at 0245hrs still with no treatment for her condition (which we don’t know if it is cancerous) and no help from the staff at the hospital regarding her ongoing care and keeping her CT scan booked on the system so she could attend “whenever” it may be

It was all absolutely appalling.

My mother is still having nightmares now about it all. How she stuck it out so long is beyond me- she desperately wanted to get better- but they FAILED HER.

To those who helped my mother in hospital and treated her with empathy - I thank them. To those who fobbed her off, took no responsibility to help her and did not “care a jot” – you should be ashamed of yourself.